Ranma Lord of the Sith
by ContraBardus
Summary: Ranma is a Dark Jedi. Was 'Dark Ranma'
1. Default Chapter

Dark Ranma  
  
Part 1  
  
The apprentice.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
It was a cold day; wind blew across the  
mountain valley deep within the wilderness of  
Japan. Genma Saotome and his young son, Ranma,  
trudged along through the autumn gusts.  
  
The boy was still a child, a tiny boy with  
scratches still healing on his face and body. The  
marks of a recently attempted training blunder. He  
followed his father, clutching his cloak against  
his body to ward off the harsh elements.  
  
"Don't worry boy, those fools won't catch us,"  
said Genma as he looked back and noticed his son's  
downtrodden look.  
  
"Huh? Sure Pop," muttered the boy  
halfheartedly.  
  
Genma was referring to the local populace of  
the area they had just left. After his son had  
snapped, they'd discovered the training that he  
had done in order to better his son. Naturally  
they didn't understand the importance of suffering  
for the art. Now he was on the run, and forced to  
avoid any populated areas for a time.  
  
"Pop, the wind is blowin real hard," said the  
boy as he looked up at the sky for a moment.  
  
Genma frowned at this, but the boy's tone told  
him it wasn't really a complaint. The boy was  
making an observation, if he had been whining,  
he'd have continued on. The boy would do well to  
face the elements. However, he shook his head and  
looked forward again. It was uncomfortably cold.  
  
The man's face broke into a grin as he noticed  
a cave nearby. It was nestled inside a wall of  
rock that rose about ten meters into the air off  
to their right. "Come on boy, we should rest for a  
little."  
  
"Okay Pop," said the boy as he followed after  
the man. As they neared the cavern, Genma noticed  
the boy hesitate from the darkness. The recent  
events in his life had made him wary of cramped,  
dark places. Genma snorted and kicked his son  
inside.  
  
"Don't be such a wuss son!"  
  
Ranma managed to stay standing and staggered  
inside. After a moment, the pair had a small fire  
going between them.  
  
"Boy..." Genma paused in the middle of  
ordering his son to sleep. His eyes went wide as  
he stared at the wall behind his son and gasped.  
Etched into the stone, were unusual markings that  
almost looked like writing.  
  
"Impossible!" muttered Genma as he stood up  
and stared at it in awe.  
  
"What's up Pop?" asked the boy in confusion.  
  
"This cave! It cannot be! I've heard legends,  
of a cavern that hides a technique, an invincible  
technique! Can it be?" The man stood up and walked  
towards the wall, touching the markings. They were  
smooth to the touch almost melted into place, and  
carved with expert skill. "Boy, grab a torch from  
the fire."  
  
Ranma's eyes went wide with fear. "Another  
technique?" his mind cried in horror.  
  
"If this is what I think it is, the Saotome  
School of Anything Goes Martial Arts will become  
the strongest art of all," said the man as he  
started walking into the cave.  
  
Ranma hesitated, and then followed his father  
inside, fearing loneliness more than anything  
else.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
Genma stepped back, awe and joy on his face as  
he stared at what he had found in the back of the  
cave. It was a stone table, resting on it was a  
small metal object, it looked like an electronic  
device, a cylinder of some kind.  
  
"Who has entered?" said a voice from within  
his mind.  
  
"I am Genma Saotome! I have come seeking the  
invincible technique that is said to be hidden  
away in this cave!" boomed the man.  
  
His son looked at him oddly. "Who ya talkin  
to, Pop?"  
  
The voice paused and said nothing for a long  
moment. "Would that you found me sooner, I would  
have been glad to take you. You have all the  
necessary qualities. You are too old for the  
training, it is beyond your grasp."  
  
"What?" muttered Genma dumbly.  
  
The feeling of a cold presence filled the  
cavern; neither Genma nor his son could see who it  
was, or what it was. "Your feelings have awakened  
me from my slumber. Go so that I might return to  
my rest and await..." The voice stopped suddenly.  
"It was not you...this boy..."  
  
"This is my son, Ranma," said Genma as he  
stood in front of the child.  
  
"He is the one, the one I have waited for,"  
said the voice. Inside the boy, he found a turmoil  
of emotions, love for his father, but overshadowed  
by feelings of betrayal, fear, and anger. "Send  
your son forward to the altar, and this technique  
you speak of shall be his."  
  
Genma looked at Ranma for a moment and  
frowned. "Go on boy."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Go on where?"  
  
"Didn't you hear him?" snapped Genma angrily.  
  
Ranma shook his head from side to side.  
  
"Go up to the altar, and listen to what the  
voice tells you. Then the technique will be ours.  
Don't worry son, that's all you have to do this  
time."  
  
Ranma shrugged his shoulders and started  
forward. His steps slowed as he felt the air  
become chilly again. Had he been older, and wiser,  
he would have turned back immediately. It was the  
presence of darkness, a cold evil force.  
  
"Boy. What do you want?" said the voice in a  
patronizing tone.  
  
"I dunno, Pop told me to come here and do what  
ya said," replied the boy.  
  
"You are angry with him?" asked the voice.  
  
"No! He's my Pop!" replied the boy.  
  
"I can feel your anger boy, I know it's true.  
He hurt you, betrayed you..."  
  
Ranma hung his head and said nothing. "I..."  
  
"You are a...Martial Artist?" asked the voice  
as soothingly as it could.  
  
"Yeah, Pop says I'm gonna be the best one  
day!" said the boy proudly.  
  
"Such pride in one so young, another admirable  
quality. Boy, I can make you stronger than even  
your father can," said the voice coldly. "I can  
make you stronger than any Martial artist can hope  
to be, but it will not be easy, and it will not be  
fast."  
  
"R...really?"  
  
"Oh yes. I can, and I will if you let me. Your  
anger..."  
  
"I gotta stop that, people always tell me that  
anger is bad. Those monks and stuff," replied the  
boy with a heavy sigh.  
  
"No, you will embrace it, feed off of your own  
anger. You will suppress it, allow it to grow into  
hatred, and with that, you will become  
invincible."  
  
Ranma stared up at the stone table dumbly.  
"Huh?"  
  
"Boy, take what is on the table, keep it with  
you always, but hide it from the eyes of others.  
This is how I will teach you." The voice sounded  
powerful, strong beyond belief.  
  
"What is it?" asked the boy.  
  
"It is the weapon of a Sith, a light saber. In  
time, I will tell you all. For it holds my spirit.  
I have waited for so long to find someone who I  
could pass it on too. Someone just like you. My  
time on this world grows short, but I shall have  
enough to show you the way. I will visit you in  
your dreams, and there, I will show you the  
secrets to the ultimate power."  
  
Ranma took the slim metal object into his hand  
and looked at it for a moment. "Okay."  
  
"Now go, go back to your father, I will show  
you the way."  
  
Ranma turned and walked up to his father's  
side. The chill in the air did not fade, but grew  
stronger as the boy approached.  
  
"Well boy?" said the man firmly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Show your father the technique," said Genma.  
  
"I don't know it yet Pop," replied the boy.  
  
"What? What were you talking about? Don't tell  
me you failed boy, you'll go back until you learn  
it!" snapped Genma.  
  
"That weird voice says he'll teach it to me in  
my sleep," replied the young boy.  
  
"What?" replied Genma.  
  
"I dunno," said Ranma with a shrug.  
  
"Come on boy, this is a waste of time,"  
snorted Genma. He turned and narrowed his eyes at  
the cavern for a moment. "Useless, all that for a  
hoax."  
  
Of course, he never realized that the line of  
thought wasn't his idea, or the fact that he now  
thought of the small object in Ranma's hand was  
little more than a worthless souvenir he'd picked  
up. Nothing for him to worry about anyway.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
"Where am I?" asked Ranma dumbly as he looked  
around.  
  
A tall figure appeared before him, he was  
dressed in black and wore a long cape. He appeared  
to be human, but his eyes were a dark red color.  
He had short cut black hair and had a permanent  
scowl on his face. "This is where I will train  
you."  
  
Ranma stepped back in horror, moving away from  
the man.  
  
"You cannot run, I am within your mind boy,"  
said the figure as he appeared in front of the  
boy.  
  
"What? Who?" stammered the boy.  
  
"I am Darth Okkota, your master," said the man  
calmly. "Welcome my young apprentice."  
  
"You're the guy from the cave?" said the boy  
as he suddenly seemed to understand.  
  
"Indeed," replied the dark figure calmly.  
"Within the confines of this place, I will open up  
the secrets to the ultimate power in the  
Universe." He waved his hand and the pair was  
suddenly standing within a sea of stars. "I have  
the power to make these dreams as real as I like,  
or as unreal. You will remember everything I have  
to teach you."  
  
Ranma looked on in fascination at the sea of  
sparkling lights around him.  
  
The suddenly vanished, and the pair were  
standing on a small deserted island in the middle  
of an ocean. Water reached out in every direction,  
as far as the eye could see.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Silence, I have much to say," said the man  
firmly.  
  
Ranma did as he was told.  
  
"Good," said the man coldly. "Now, there are a  
few rules you must follow. I am the Master, you  
will always refer to me that way. You must speak  
nothing of what you learn here to anyone, and  
refrain from using your power outside of these  
confines until I say you are ready. You will have  
many enemies because of what I am about to teach  
you. You will be strong, infinitely so, but not  
even you can destroy them all at once. You must  
remain hidden until the time is right."  
  
Ranma nodded silently, unsure of what to say.  
  
"Excellent," replied the man coldly. "Here, I  
will train your mind. Outside, your father will  
take care of training your body. You will continue  
under his tutelage until the time is right. Speak  
nothing of this to him."  
  
The boy nodded again, not wanting to speak out  
of fear this time.  
  
"Your anger of him slowly becomes hatred,"  
said the man coldly as he stared down at the boy  
with an unpleasant looking smile. "Excellent. You  
have already started down the path. In time, it is  
you who will rule your destiny, once I have gone,  
you will be the ultimate force in the universe."  
  
Ranma glanced around and found himself staring  
at the stars again. "Here, I can expose you to the  
knowledge of Planets long forgotten in time. So  
the first lesson begins." He turned and grinned  
down at the boy with an evil gleam in his eyes. "A  
long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
A few years later...  
  
Ranma stared at his father's back, or rather  
her father's back. Anger burned heatedly as he  
stared the man down. "I want to kill him." His  
thoughts were complimented by another rush of  
hatred. Memories he had tucked away within the  
recesses of his mind.  
  
"No," said the voice of his master. It was  
little more than a memory now. The Sith had  
vanished six months before, his link to this plane  
of existence finally drained as he finished the  
boy's training. "There is still much you can learn  
from him. After you have surpassed him, and he has  
nothing more to teach, then you may destroy him at  
your leisure."  
  
Her clothes were a jet-black dogi that barely  
covered her new breasts. His control was slipping  
with each time the fabric rubbed against the  
sensitive new additions to his chest.  
  
The guide was backing slowly away from her as  
she stared the man down. She turned and glared at  
the pools, breathing in deep heavy breaths. She  
wanted to kill her father, but she still needed  
him alive.  
  
Reaching out with her senses, she smirked as  
she felt someone a short distance away from him. A  
figure standing on the edge of a cliff, he could  
see it with his mind's eye. Ryoga Hibiki, the boy  
was peering out over the horizon in search of him.  
A cold smirk formed on his face as he pulled some  
of the earth out from underneath the boy's feet,  
sending him falling onto the valley below.  
  
"Pity, he may have made a good apprentice,"  
thought the boy with a small twinge of regret. The  
newly female Ranma turned to look at his father.  
"We should go."  
  
Genma gave a pathetic sounding growl.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
The Village of Amazon's, a short time later...  
  
"Mr. Customer! You is getting kiss of death!"  
cried the guide in panic.  
  
Ranma looked at the girl in front of her and  
frowned. "What?"  
  
"Kiss of death is promise, to hunt to ends of  
Earth and kill!"  
  
Ranma smirked at the violet haired girl who  
stood before her. The guide was pulling against  
her arm, unable to move her.  
  
Slowly, Ranma reached out with her feelings.  
  
The girl standing before her paused suddenly,  
in the middle of pulling out her weapons. Her eyes  
went wide with horror as her throat closed up  
suddenly by some unseen force.  
  
Ranma stepped forward. "Are you all right?"  
she asked with a fake concern on her face.  
  
Shampoo simply stared at her and the Guide  
froze.  
  
Ranma's head whipped around, and she cursed as  
she turned and ran. The guide gasped as he found  
himself standing alone. Genma followed after his  
son, but the boy hadn't attempted to help him.  
  
Shampoo was on the ground gasping for breath.  
  
The guide blinked as he found himself  
surrounded. "Oh dear."  
  
A wizened old troll hopped out of the crowd  
and frowned as she stared down at Shampoo. "What  
has happened? Why did you stop?"  
  
"I just stopped breathing?" replied the girl  
with confusion on her face. "It was like someone  
was holding onto my throat and choking me."  
  
Cologne frowned as she looked down at her. The  
girl's face was enough to make her believe it.  
  
"Strange, I felt no magic, no chi," said the  
old woman as she looked down at her Great  
Granddaughter for a moment.  
  
"I don't know what happened," said the girl as  
she finally stood up.  
  
"Go see the healer," said the old woman  
firmly. "Then you will resume the hunt for this  
girl. Take Mousse with you."  
  
"What?! I don't need that weakling's help!"  
snapped the girl.  
  
"He isn't going to help you, he's going to  
observe," replied Cologne. "Something about this  
makes me uncomfortable, but you have given the  
kiss, and now you must fulfill it."  
  
Shampoo bowed, a displeased look on her face  
as she followed the old woman's orders.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Mousse bowed before Cologne and frowned.  
"What?"  
  
"You have your orders Mousse. Go with Shampoo,  
follow her, observe. Report back here even if she  
is killed. Do not attempt to attack this girl,"  
said Cologne coldly.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Do as you are ordered boy," said Cologne  
angrily. "If she dies, and my suspicions are true.  
You will die as well if you face her."  
  
"Suspicions?" asked Mousse.  
  
"Nothing to concern yourself with," replied  
the old woman calmly. "A legend from long ago,  
ancient even when I was a child."  
  
"What legend?" asked Mousse.  
  
"I shall tell you if you still wish to know  
when you return," said Cologne.  
  
"Very well," said the boy as he bowed to her  
again.  
  
Cologne could see the lie in his eyes.  
  
After he left, she sighed. "Where is Li-Xian?"  
  
"She has already been ordered to follow them,  
and report back when he fails," replied one of the  
old women that sat nearby to Cologne.  
  
"If he fails. We have nothing more than  
suspicion, a freak accident, and a stranger."  
  
"No accident," said another old woman on her  
other side. "Shampoo is in perfect health.  
Something was done to her."  
  
"I pray we are mistaken," said Cologne.  
  
"You think she may be a sorceress?" asked one  
of the women.  
  
"No, I sensed no magic, no chi being  
manipulated. If I am right, and I pray I am not  
for all our sakes...she may be another Shithu."  
  
"Shithu? That horrible monster from fairy  
tales?" snorted one of the women in disgust. "You  
disappoint me Cologne."  
  
"Time will tell," replied the elder calmly.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
Several days later, in a remote region of  
China...  
  
Ranma stood alone in the middle of a field,  
her eyes glaring coldly at the girl before her.  
"You again?"  
  
"Girl! I kill!" snarled Shampoo as she put her  
blade in front of her defensively. It was a curved  
sword, it had little ornamentation on it save for  
the leather hilt and tassel that hung from the  
base.  
  
Ranma smirked. "You? Kill me? I think not  
girl."  
  
"Shampoo show Amazon strength," replied the  
girl hatefully as she slowly stalked forward.  
  
"Strength? You don't know what strength is,"  
said Ranma coolly. She glanced at the tree line  
and frowned. Her father had run away, fearing his  
own life. He didn't even notice his son wasn't  
behind him, at least, not yet.  
  
Ranma chuckled as she looked at Shampoo again.  
"What do you plan to do girl?"  
  
"Shampoo kill you now!" snapped the girl as  
she charged forward.  
  
Ranma snorted in disgust. "Come on then."  
  
Shampoo's eyes went wide as she felt the  
familiar clutching at her throat again. She fell  
to her knees, grasping desperately at her throat.  
"How...is doing...?" she gasped as the force  
slowly increased.  
  
"Not fair? I guess I can grant you that," said  
the girl as she stopped the attack. "You seem  
strong enough. Let's see how you do."  
  
Shampoo stood upright, staring at the redhead  
in horror. "Is witch!"  
  
"Don't be so vulgar," snorted Ranma  
distastefully.  
  
"What is name?" asked Shampoo cautiously.  
"Shampoo want know who kill."  
  
Ranma smirked at this; it was a cold cruel  
act. The girl wanted her name? She would tell  
Shampoo, not the name her father had given her,  
but the name she had earned. The one his master  
had given him years ago, his true name. "I am  
Darth Ken'o."  
  
The Amazon nodded as she stepped back into a  
little. She slowly moved forward, the blade held  
in defense of her body and face.  
  
"Come girl, stop wasting my time. I don't want  
that old man to realize I'm not behind him yet."  
  
"Girl brave, stupid, but brave," said the girl  
as she rushed forward. The blade moved at amazing  
speed as she slashed down at her opponent.  
  
Ranma chuckled, stepping aside casually.  
"Fool."  
  
Shampoo gasped as she stopped moving behind  
the girl. She was still extended in her strike,  
and a soft humming noise seemed to fill her  
senses. "What?" she muttered as her sword fell in  
two pieces, cut off at the hilt.  
  
Ranma turned to look at her slowly. A cold  
smile on her lips. "You're good, but not a match  
for me."  
  
Shampoo spun around and jumped back high into  
the air, trying to put some distance between  
herself and the girl.  
  
Ranma raised her hand as the girl sailed away  
from her. The force flowing through her and then  
away from her like the waves in the ocean.  
  
Shampoo screamed as she felt something slam  
into her body and send her flying back even  
further. She slammed into a tree and felt the wind  
being forced from her lungs. "Damn!" she muttered  
in Mandarin in pain. The ground rushed up to meet  
her and she landed face first on the ground.  
  
Ranma walked up to her calmly, a smile still  
on her face. "You've seen too much for me to allow  
you to live. It's not time for anyone to know  
about me yet."  
  
The young Chinese girl looked up at her.  
Shampoo's teeth were grit in pain as she felt the  
icy grip of death itself close around her throat  
again. "Shampoo...not die so easy..."  
  
"It is a shame," agreed Ranma as she increased  
the pressure. She pointed her lightsaber at the  
fallen girl.  
  
Shampoo's eyes went wide at the sight of the  
blade, she had not yet noticed it there. "Sword of  
light?" she muttered in a strained voice through  
her choking.  
  
"Shampoo! Noooo!" screamed a male voice from  
behind Ranma.  
  
The Sith got a surprised look on her face and  
spun around. A boy dressed in robes was charging  
her from across the field. He had various weapons  
in his grasp and an enraged look in his eyes. It  
was easy to see them because of the thick glasses  
he wore on his face.  
  
Ranma growled, she turned to see the girl  
staggering to her feet again. Her concentration  
was lost from her shock. "No you don't!" she  
snarled as she hacked down at Shampoo with the  
blade.  
  
The Amazon jumped away, but wasn't fast  
enough. She screamed in pain as she fell, her left  
leg cut off halfway at the shin.  
  
Mousse jumped into the air, readying his  
weapons as he dove towards his beloved's attacker.  
"Shampooooo!"  
  
Ranma snarled, she pulled the lightsaber  
upright and closed her eyes.  
  
Mousse never made it to him. The boy's glasses  
shattered by an unseen force and the fragments  
jabbed into his eyes. He screamed in pain as he  
tumbled out of his attack.  
  
"If you'd stayed out of this, I might not have  
noticed you," said the redhead coldly.  
  
Shampoo gasped as she rolled onto her back,  
the pain in her leg forgotten for a mere moment as  
she saw Mousse land at the feet of the girl. He  
was curled up in a ball in agony.  
  
Ranma raised the lightsaber over her head and  
calmly drove it down into his body, spearing him  
through the center of his chest.  
  
"Mousse!" screamed the girl in horror. She  
felt a sudden rushing as someone grabbed her and  
pulled her along. She found herself rushing along  
in someone's arms, the trees going by at an  
amazing rate of speed.  
  
Ranma growled as she felt the presence of  
another. "Damned rats!" She turned in the  
direction of her former prey and saw that she was  
gone. She raised her hand up and frowned.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
Li-Xian rushed through the forest with her  
injured comrade in her arms. "The elders will need  
to hear of this," she said out loud.  
  
Shampoo was in shock as they moved from branch  
to branch in the treetops of the forest that  
surrounded the field.  
  
Suddenly, there was a visible shift in the  
air. Li-Xian screamed as she was toppled from her  
jump and rolled before she hit the ground. Her  
eyes went wide as she saw what was below her.  
"No!"  
  
Shampoo was barely aware of what was going on  
around her. She hit the ground roughly as her  
former ride dropped her. Li-Xian gasped as she  
looked down at Shampoo. Her eyes wide as she hung,  
suspended from where she was impaled against a  
protruding branch on a long dead and fallen tree.  
  
"No!" muttered Shampoo.  
  
"Go!" snapped Li-Xian through the pain. "Go  
back, tell the elders what you saw!"  
  
Shampoo staggered to her good leg, her eyes  
wide with horror as she hopped back and fell onto  
her rear.  
  
"Go! She comes!" snapped the dying warrior  
through the blood that was seeping out of her  
mouth.  
  
Shampoo nodded and started to hop away, she  
kept her balance by latching onto the sides of  
trees as she moved away as fast as she could.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Inside the field Ranma stood alone still. The  
lightsaber held at her side casually as she  
watched the tree line and searched through it with  
her mind's eye. A smirk formed on her lips as she  
felt the life force of one end suddenly. She shut  
the blade down and frowned as she realized that  
there was another moving away, it was just fast  
enough, and far enough away that she had no hope  
of catching up to it in time. At least, not  
without the risk of broadcasting his power to any  
force sensitive people nearby. It was bad enough  
that she'd used them enough already. She couldn't  
risk boosting her speed and charging through the  
wilderness.  
  
Her master had told her that there may be  
others like her on the planet. It was a doubtful  
prospect, but she couldn't be sure about that  
though. Even if it was not one of those cursed  
Jedi her master had told her about. There may  
still be someone who had the power to contact  
them. She knew the dark side was difficult to see,  
but also that it was far from impossible. If she  
used her power sparingly and only when she really  
needed it.  
  
The planet would hide her from those in the  
galaxy easily enough. Its upper atmosphere had a  
sort of dampening effect for the force. It was why  
her master had hidden here. He was waiting for the  
right time to strike, but died before the time  
came. He had lived for almost three thousand years  
before that time had come though.  
  
Ranma snorted, there wasn't much a backwater  
tribe like the Amazon's could do to her where she  
was going. She frowned deeply again and cursed  
herself for being so careless and reckless. There  
wasn't anything she could do about it now. She put  
the lightsaber back into her robes and started  
walking again. She didn't particularly care if she  
ran into her father or not.  
  
++++++++++  
  
"Are you certain child?" asked Cologne as she  
peered down at her Great Granddaughter.  
  
"I'm sure. The girl killed Mousse, and then  
Li-Xian." Shampoo was sitting in the middle of the  
council of elders, a bandage over her cauterized  
stump. The blade the girl had used had burned the  
wound shut when it had cut her.  
  
"So Mousse did not follow orders, it was wise  
to send Li-Xian after her," said one of the old  
women. "She wielded a blade of light against us.  
It, hummed..." The girl looked slightly dazed at  
the memory.  
  
"Perhaps," said Cologne. "The village  
sorceress detected no magic, and I felt no chi  
when she used these powers here. We have another  
Shithu."  
  
"What is this 'Shithu'?" asked Shampoo as she  
staggered upright with a frown on her face.  
  
"An old legend, once thought to be a fairy  
tale. Long ago, there was a creature that called  
itself Shithu. It appeared as a man, and killed  
mercilessly. It used no magic or chi, and  
destroyed countless Chinese. This creature created  
an alliance between ourselves and the Musk, one  
that would most likely survive to this very day  
had that tribe not been destroyed when I was  
young. In the end, we defeated it, and drove it  
from China."  
  
"This girl called herself Darth Ken'o," said  
Shampoo with her head hung down.  
  
There were mutters of surprise through the  
council.  
  
"So, it is true," said Cologne with a heavy  
sigh.  
  
"What is it?" asked Shampoo.  
  
"Shithu was a mere title child. The creature  
of the legend...its name was Darth Okkota."  
  
"So, this girl...she was really a monster?"  
said the girl as she sat back down again.  
  
"A most horrible monster indeed," agreed  
Cologne.  
  
"I will kill it," said the girl as she looked  
up at her Great Grandmother firmly.  
  
Cologne frowned. "You are not ready for such a  
task. There is much to do first."  
  
Shampoo nodded with a scowl of determination  
on her face.  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome stood next to his father and  
frowned deeply. "What?"  
  
"We're going to see an old friend of mine,  
you're going to marry one of his daughters."  
  
Ranma scowled, rage burning in his eyes as he  
stared at his father's back. "That's it! He's  
dead! I've had enough!" he thought to himself.  
  
"Come on boy! Quit lagging!" snapped Genma as  
he turned around.  
  
A rain began to fall all around them, Ranma  
felt his form shift, filling out the black silk  
clothes he wore in different ways than before. Her  
aura became visible for a moment, but she pushed  
it back. It was far too crowded to use her power  
here. She growled under her breath and stepped  
after her father.  
  
"I'm going to have to kill him the old  
fashioned way." Her hand clenched the lightsaber  
hidden inside her sleeve and she stalked forward,  
waiting for an opportunity to present itself.  
There were far to many people walking around for  
her to just cut the man in half where he stood.  
Her anger was locked away, to fester into a deeper  
hatred of the man. Ranma found that idea strangely  
soothing.  
  
++++++++++  
  
They stood in front of the Tendo Dojo. Ranma  
smiled as she realized that this was the perfect  
opportunity. There was no one around, only a dog  
barking in the distance. She smiled and slowly  
pulled her weapon out of her sleeve. "Goodbye  
old..."  
  
She froze and looked up at the gates of the  
dojo. His father was pushing her, grunting like  
the animal he now was. The girl didn't fight as  
she glanced around and found herself inside the  
compound, looking around in a sort of wonder.  
"This place...so much anger? I feel sadness,  
despair...it's everywhere!"  
  
In her mind, she could see the dark cloud that  
hung over the building. Her anger faded slightly,  
the lightsaber vanished into her sleeve again.  
"Interesting." Ranma strolled forward in front of  
her father as the panda pushed her into the  
building.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Akane Tendo gasped at the girl who stood in  
front of them. She was eyeing them all coldly,  
without a hint of amusement or embarrassment in  
her eyes. "I am Ranma."  
  
"Yes, we'd figured that out," said Nabiki with  
a smirk on her face.  
  
Akane frowned, she blushed at her sister's  
rudeness. Her father was lying on the ground, out  
cold. The girl was currently sizing up her family,  
she could see it in her eyes.  
  
Nabiki was first. Ranma frowned, there was a  
deep pain hidden away inside her. Something locked  
up and kept at bay. It was weak though, all of  
those in the home had that inside them.  
  
The eldest fell under his gaze next. The girl  
repulsed her, she wasn't the strange force, nor  
was the man who had greeted them, that left one  
more. Her face turned into a smile as she eyed the  
shy looking girl who watched silently. She looked  
embarrassed, somewhat shy. "This one. Yes, she  
could be perfect."  
  
"Huh?" said Akane as she looked at the girl.  
  
"It's nothing," replied Ranma as she turned to  
look at her father.  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
Soun was awake, lying on his back and crying.  
"Well I assumed my friend Saotome's son was a  
boy!"  
  
"Do you see a boy here? Do you Daddy?" cried  
Nabiki as she attempted to grab the girl's chest.  
Her hand was jerked aside painfully as the girl  
narrowed her eyes at her.  
  
"Don't touch me again," said Ranma coldly.  
  
Nabiki blinked at this and moved away  
slightly.  
  
Akane stood up, unsure of what to do. Ranma  
felt another flash of anger in her mind, directed  
at her this time.  
  
"This is very interesting, but shouldn't we be  
getting to this 'engagement' thing?" said the  
redhead.  
  
"Well, it's obviously off," said Nabiki  
irritably as she glared at the girl.  
  
"Heh. You sound almost hopeful," said Ranma  
calmly.  
  
"It wasn't that bad a deal until you showed  
up," snorted the girl in retort.  
  
"Whatever," said the pigtailed girl as she  
turned her head towards Akane and smiled at her.  
"This is the only one who interests me here."  
  
Everyone fell silent at this announcement.  
Akane shifted back, discomfort clear in her  
features.  
  
"Oh my!" gasped Kasumi.  
  
"Look, I don't know what kind of pervert you  
are..." started Nabiki.  
  
Ranma narrowed her eyes at the girl slightly.  
She waved her hand in front of her face and the  
girl fell silent. "Don't you have something to do  
right now?"  
  
"I've got homework to do, you guy's can sort  
this out on your own!" snapped Nabiki without  
missing a beat.  
  
Ranma turned to look at Akane again. "This  
girl has a lot of potential Mr. Tendo."  
  
"Yes," said the man uncomfortably. "She is  
very skilled in the art." He was hoping that was  
what she meant.  
  
"I can see that," said Ranma as she smiled at  
him.  
  
Akane visibly relaxed and berated herself for  
having such perverted thoughts. Surely that was  
what the girl had meant all along. She stood up  
and smiled at her. "I'm Akane, you want to be  
friends?"  
  
Ranma smiled back at her. "No."  
  
That caught everyone off guard again and they  
sat in an uncomfortable silence for a long moment.  
  
Finally, a whistle sounded from the kitchen.  
"Oh! The tea is ready!" said the Kasumi as she  
stood up. The panda passed in front of her and  
walked into the kitchen, only to return with the  
kettle in its claws.  
  
"Growf," he said as he poured it over the  
redhead.  
  
Soun fainted, Kasumi gasped, and Akane almost  
fainted, she managed to keep herself awake and  
nearly broke her nose against the table in the  
process.  
  
"I'm Ranma Saotome," said the boy calmly.  
  
Soun slowly opened his eyes again and sat up.  
"You..."  
  
Genma was walking out of the kitchen by this  
point, and was wearing his dogi again. "It's a  
long story Tendo."  
  
"Please explain!" said Soun with a desperate  
fear for his own sanity in his eyes.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
"Well, your problem isn't so bad after all!  
These are my daughters, Akane, and Kasumi. You've  
met Nabiki already." He nodded towards the girl's  
room as he said the last part. "Choose any one you  
like, and she'll be your new fiancee."  
  
"Akane, I choose you," said Ranma before Soun  
had finished. The look in his eyes was almost  
hungry, but not in a sexual way.  
  
"What?!" cried the girl in a rage of anger.  
  
"Perfect, it's so easy," said the pigtailed  
boy to himself quietly.  
  
"I won't do it!" screamed the girl as she  
stood up. "I won't marry this pervert!" She glared  
at him. "What are you looking at?"  
  
"You," he replied simply as his smile faded a  
little.  
  
Akane screamed and charged away, rushing up to  
her room. "I won't do it!"  
  
Soun looked at Ranma for a moment  
sympathetically. "Don't worry son, she'll warm up  
to you."  
  
"I hope not," muttered Ranma to himself.  
"She's just what I need her to be right now."  
  
"Well, you've done well son! I knew you'd make  
your father proud!" laughed Genma.  
  
Ranma paused and gave him a cold look. The man  
didn't notice and continued to cry and hug Soun  
joyfully. "She lacks focus, I can fix that soon  
enough. I've got all the time in the galaxy."  
  
Kasumi was looking at him silently. He smirked  
at her as he walked out of the room. She gasped  
and put her hand up to her mouth fearfully. "Oh  
my."  
  
"Indeed," said Ranma as he walked towards the  
dojo and looked around the yard as he wandered.  
"Oh my."  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Okay. I may do more if I'm motivated later.  
That's enough for now though. I'm handing this out  
to anyone who wants to continue it. Sorta like  
that 'Uncles' thing. They can start here, or start  
after whatever else I write. Doesn't matter.  
  
Just let me know so I can see it. E-mail me a  
copy or something. Don't bother asking me  
permission or anything. Just give me credit for  
the whatever parts are used and I'll be happy.  
It's not even really my idea.  



	2. Sith 2

This was titled 'Dark Ranma' it was a  
temporary title for it based on the idea it came  
from.  
  
Ranma Lord of the Sith.  
  
Part 2  
  
Hidden anger.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Ranma glared at his father and frowned.  
"School?"  
  
"Well, we are going to be staying for a  
while," said the man with a shrug.  
  
Ranma's frown deepened and he sighed. "Very  
well." He stood up and turned away from the man.  
  
"You'll be going to the same school as Akane  
and me. See you there!" said Nabiki as she turned  
the corner and dashed out the door cheerfully.  
  
Ranma watched her go and started walking  
towards the door.  
  
"Wait! Nabiki! I'll go with you!" called Akane  
as she moved after her sister.  
  
Nabiki turned and stared at the boy's frown  
for a moment after her sister called her. "What  
are you talking about, he's your fiancee. You  
should walk him to school."  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Akane walked along the sidewalk, Ranma was  
moving beside her calmly on the pavement.  
  
"We're not getting married you know," said the  
girl suddenly.  
  
"I've got no interest in marrying you," he  
replied coldly. "You've got something else I  
want."  
  
Akane spun around to face him with an angry  
scowl on her face. "What?" Her anger fell away at  
the look he was giving her. She stepped back into  
a defensive stance instinctively.  
  
Ranma chuckled at this and remained completely  
relaxed. "You'll find out in time what I want."  
  
"You'll tell me now!" said Akane as she  
started to advance slowly on him. Her anger  
overshadowing the fear that had overcome her  
moments before.  
  
"Excellent," said Ranma as an unkind looking  
grin formed on his lips. "You're almost too  
perfect."  
  
Akane couldn't take anymore and rushed forward  
screaming. "Die you pervert! I won't take this!"  
  
Ranma dodged the strike easily and put his  
face directly up to hers. "What do you plan to do  
about it?"  
  
Akane jumped back with a shocked expression  
covering her entire body. "Wha? He's good!" she  
thought in horror.  
  
"Your fear is getting the best of you Tendo, I  
suppose I'll have to do something about that."  
  
Ranma started walking again and ignored her.  
  
"We aren't finished yet! Come back here you  
coward!" snarled the girl as she realized he  
wasn't taking her seriously.  
  
"Why?" he replied calmly without breaking  
stride.  
  
"You're not taking me seriously! I'm a martial  
artist too!" cried the girl as she rushed after  
him, intent on making him pay for his insolence.  
  
"Who ever said I was a martial artist?" he  
replied calmly as he continued to move forward.  
  
Akane stopped again with confusion on her  
features. "Wha?"  
  
Finally, Ranma stopped and turned to face her.  
His evil grin still present on his face. "Akane  
Tendo, your anger makes you strong. I can make it  
so that you are invincible."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped  
hatefully.  
  
"It will become clear with time, Tomboy,"  
replied Ranma as he started walking again.  
  
Akane growled at this and started towards him  
again.  
  
"Don't we have some place to be? We're going  
to be late, I wouldn't like that much," said the  
pigtailed boy casually.  
  
Akane seemed to realize that fact all at once.  
"Damn!" She started running towards the school,  
leaving Ranma behind.  
  
The boy's smirk turned into a deep frown.  
"This is almost too easy."  
  
Genma appeared out of nowhere. "Boy! What do  
you think you're doing!?" he cried angrily as he  
smacked his son on the back of his head with a  
hard punch.  
  
Ranma's rage flared again for a moment, but it  
was quickly brought under control. "What are you  
so angry about old man?"  
  
"You'll marry Akane Tendo and like it boy!  
Quit this foolishness!"  
  
Ranma's face once again became a cruel smile.  
"Don't worry Pop, she's perfect. Exactly what I  
need."  
  
Genma blinked in surprise at this. "What?"  
  
Ranma turned his back on the man and started  
forward again. "You'll see soon enough."  
  
"This is wonderful! We'll have the wedding  
tonight!" cried Genma in joy.  
  
Ranma frowned at his father and turned to face  
him again. "No."  
  
"No?" muttered Genma dumbly.  
  
"I'll decide when the time is right for my  
plan to be finished," said Ranma coldly. "You'll  
know it when that time comes."  
  
"Boy?" said Genma as he tried to understand  
what was going on. "Plan? What plan?"  
  
Ranma snorted in disgust and started walking  
again.  
  
"Of course, the boy is perceptive! He's just  
waiting for the girl to accept the idea first.  
Tendo will be pleased to hear that Ranma is so  
agreeable about this!" The man rushed away, moving  
back to the dojo as fast as his legs would carry  
him.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Ono Tofu frowned as he sat upright at his  
desk. A chill ran down his spine and he turned to  
look at the door for a moment.  
  
"What was that?" he muttered to himself. He  
stood from his seat and walked outside. "It feels  
like death itself has descended on this place..."  
  
A young boy with a pigtail walked by. He  
paused when he noticed the man staring at him in  
confusion. The boy's face fell into a frown and he  
narrowed his eyes at Tofu for a moment. It was  
both a challenging and questioning glare.  
  
"Who?" muttered the man as he shook his head  
to clear it. When he looked up again, the boy was  
gone.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Ranma found himself at the gates of Furinkan.  
The mess before him caused him to pause for a  
moment and he frowned. "What the?"  
  
Akane screamed in rage from the center of the  
mob of boys. They were muttering complete  
gibberish and attacking her in mass. Ranma arched  
his eyebrow and casually walked by the affair, not  
giving it a second thought.  
  
Nabiki was sitting in the window of the  
school, watching the battle below. She noticed  
Ranma and was about to call to him when he simply  
started walking, ignoring the scene completely.  
"What?" she muttered to himself. The battle hadn't  
even phased him for more than a few seconds. He  
simply paused, and looked for no more than five  
seconds before moving on as if nothing was  
happening.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
Akane glared at Ranma as he sat down beside  
her after being introduced to the class. Because  
of him, she'd had to rush this morning rather than  
taking her time. She'd won, and ended up beating  
Kuno in the nick of time. "Jerk," she grumbled  
hatefully.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
Nabiki Tendo stared at Tatewaki Kuno with a  
wry looking grin on her face. "Set of five, eight  
thousand yen." She slapped a handful of photos on  
her desk and smirked at him.  
  
"What? This is an exorbitant amount, Nabiki  
Tendo!" cried the boy in shock.  
  
"Yeah, sorry. I had to raise my prices cause  
Akane's fiancee probably wouldn't like me selling  
you these," said the girl casually. In her mind  
she was laughing maniacally. "The bait is  
set...and..." she thought to herself as Kuno  
worked over what she had just said for a moment.  
  
"What?!! Fiancee?!!"  
  
"Gotya," she said quietly to herself.  
  
"Tell me who this fool, who would dare  
undermine me, is!" cried Kuno as he ignored the  
teacher.  
  
"Kuno baby, that's really going to cost you,"  
said the girl as she narrowed her eyes at the  
teacher for a moment. Everyone was looking at them  
now.  
  
Kuno slapped a wad of bills onto the table  
with a rage on his face.  
  
"His name is Ranma Saotome, my dad and his dad  
decided that Akane was going to marry him," said  
the girl as she took the money cheerfully.  
  
Kuno dashed off, fire burning in his eyes. "I  
shall not allow it!"  
  
Nabiki smiled as he rushed out the door of the  
classroom, only to return a half-second later and  
return to her desk. The boy calmly picked up the  
photos and put them into his shirt before dashing  
off again.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
Ranma frowned as a tall boy burst into his  
classroom and shoved the teacher aside. He stood  
directly in front of Akane's desk and put his  
hands down on top of it.  
  
"Kuno?!" gasped the girl in shock. "What are  
you...?"  
  
"Tell me! Tell me who this fool is, Akane  
Tendo!" cried the boy with tears in his eyes.  
"Where is this Ranma Saotome? I shall destroy him!  
I shall not allow your engagement to him to  
continue!"  
  
The girl went white as a sheet and stared at  
him as the class reacted all at once. Cries of  
protest and girlish squeals filled the air.  
  
Ranma sat calmly, only seeming to be slightly  
irritated with this mess that had resulted.  
  
"Who told you about that?" he asked as he  
stood up and shoved three boys, who had all moved  
around him to shout angrily at him, out of his  
way.  
  
"So, the snake reveals itself! I shall never  
allow this farce of an engagement to continue!"  
  
The pigtailed boy narrowed his eyes at the  
loud-mouthed kendoist and glanced at Akane. "Is  
this your boyfriend?"  
  
"Yes!" answered Kuno.  
  
"No!" snapped Akane angrily.  
  
"Too bad, I would have enjoyed killing him  
more if he was, fiancee," said the pigtailed boy  
as a cold smile formed on his lips.  
  
Akane gasped and stared at him for a moment.  
"What?"  
  
"Have at thee!" snarled Kuno as he pulled a  
wooden sword from his back and charged at Ranma.  
  
The boy sidestepped and frowned when his desk  
fell into two pieces from the blow. "Not good."  
  
"Villain!" snarled Kuno as he hacked at his  
opponent. Ranma easily dodged and moved around the  
blows.  
  
Kuno frowned as he noticed the black clad boy  
move into the crowd of students. "Coward! Using  
others to shield yourself from me?!"  
  
Ranma's eyes flashed for a moment as he  
glanced down at the desk at Kuno's side. No one  
saw it shift suddenly and slam into the angry  
boy's hip.  
  
Ranma rushed forward instantly. His hands  
lashing out as he slammed into the older boy's  
chest and sent him flying into the blackboard.  
  
"No fighting in school!" cried the teacher  
angrily.  
  
Kuno brushed him aside and staggered to his  
feet, holding his weapon at the ready. "Mere  
luck," he thought to himself. "My own carelessness  
lead to that." He shifted his stance offensively  
and frowned as he realized that the boy was  
standing in front of Akane, ready to move out of  
the way in an instant if he charged.  
  
"The coward is clever," said Kuno out loud.  
"He uses a woman to protect himself from harm.  
Such a weak and pathetic ploy."  
  
"Still, it is effective," countered Ranma with  
a smirk forming on his face. He knew everything he  
needed to now. The boy was nowhere near a mach for  
him. He stepped aside and moved out so that the  
kendoist had a clear shot at him.  
  
"I have you!" snarled Kuno as he rushed  
forward.  
  
Just as the boy closed on him, Ranma ducked.  
He spun around the older boy's waist and pushed at  
the small of his back when he finally made it  
around him. Kuno staggered forward, and plummeted  
through a glass window.  
  
"Kuno!" screamed Akane in horror as she jumped  
to her feet and rushed to the window.  
  
The boy was lying face down on the pavement,  
he wasn't moving.  
  
She turned to face Ranma and glared at him  
with pure unhidden hatred. "What have you done?"  
  
"He attacked me with a weapon, in the middle  
of class. You're lucky he's not dead."  
  
The class was looking at the boy dumbly.  
  
"Kuno survived that? No way!" muttered one of  
the girls.  
  
"You killed him!" snarled Akane.  
  
"He's alive, for now. I suggest you call the  
paramedics if you would like it to remain that  
way." The pigtailed boy returned to his seat and  
sat down again. "Or not, it doesn't matter to me."  
  
Akane worked her jaw up and down as she glared  
at her fiancee for a moment. She was unsure what  
to say or do. Finally, she snapped out of it and  
rushed out into the hallway in search of a phone.  
  
The rest of the students stood around the  
classroom, either looking out the window at the  
fallen boy and the growing pool of blood around  
him, or staring at Ranma in shock and fear. The  
boy had a wide area of clearance around his desk.  
  
He was simply sitting there, with a rather  
satisfied expression on his face.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
Akane Tendo watched in silence as the  
paramedics took Kuno away. He was badly hurt, but  
it didn't seem like he was in danger of dying once  
they got to him. He probably would have bled to  
death though if he had remained where he was. The  
glass from his tumble had punctured him when he  
landed, and also when it had fallen on him from  
above. She could hardly recognize him he had so  
much blood covering him.  
  
She shivered and looked up at the room. The  
police had questioned everyone, and now Ranma was  
being let go. They hadn't even cuffed him after  
hearing the explanation given.  
  
"He's just getting away with this?" she  
muttered in horror. "He can't! He almost killed  
Kuno!"  
  
"I'm sorry if he was your friend, but he  
attacked that boy unprovoked with a dangerous  
weapon," said a nearby officer who had overheard  
her. "You saw what he did to that desk. The boy  
has offered not to press charges since that boy  
was the only one injured."  
  
"He didn't have to go that far!" cried Akane.  
"I know he's better than that! He could have..."  
she trailed off as she thought about it. "He could  
have..." She gasped. "He could have what?" replied  
her mind. "You're the only one who's beaten Kuno.  
He's probably not as good as you are, he said he's  
not a martial artist didn't he? Even if he's good  
at dodging that doesn't mean..." She shook the  
thoughts away. "I'll teach him what it means to be  
a martial artist then!"  
  
Ranma strolled out of the school with a smirk  
on his face as he glared at Akane for a moment.  
"Feh. That weakling."  
  
The girl whirled around and glared at him  
hatefully. "You almost killed him."  
  
"Yeah. It's too bad he lived. I'm surprised. I  
thought that fall would kill him for sure," said  
the pigtailed boy as he started walking away.  
  
"So. You admit it! You were trying to kill  
him?!" snapped Akane.  
  
"What of it? He was no better," replied the  
boy as he continued walking.  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma sat in the dojo. His mind turning over  
the days events. The chiropractor made him  
nervous. He knew he'd have to do something about  
that man soon. He had a feeling he was one of the  
ones his master had warned him about. He was at  
the very least one of the sensitive ones. "But  
he's no Jedi. He was confused by what he felt,"  
said the boy with a smirk on his face.  
  
Akane had potential, the force was within her  
after all. The doctor was different though, he was  
much stronger in both ability, and his root to the  
other side. He probably wasn't even aware of it.  
If he was older, he might have ditched Akane in  
order to take him in instead. The risk was too  
great though, he wasn't experienced enough to try.  
Akane would do for now.  
  
"Boy," said Genma as he walked in and sat next  
to his son.  
  
"What is it? I'm busy," replied Ranma coldly.  
  
"Akane has told me what happened at School  
today," said the man firmly.  
  
"What of it?" snorted Ranma as he opened his  
eyes and stared at the man for a moment.  
  
"You did well, but you went too far. She is  
very upset."  
  
"Good, it will make her stronger," replied  
Ranma icily.  
  
"I see. Still boy, you shouldn't have done  
that."  
  
"He was trying to kill me. No one tries to  
kill me. He's lucky he's still alive."  
  
"I see," said Genma with a frown on his face  
as he gave a small nod. "Be careful boy."  
  
"Yes," replied Ranma as he returned to his  
meditation.  
  
Genma left, and he was alone for several more  
minutes. His work was going to take more planning  
than he'd thought.  
  
"What are you doing in here?" snapped Akane as  
she walked into the dojo with a scowl on her face.  
  
"Meditating," replied the boy.  
  
"So, you're starting to feel sorry?" she said  
with some of the heat leaving her voice.  
  
"I am wondering why my strike failed to kill  
him. It should have broken his back easily, the  
fall would have masked the damage. I suppose  
getting beaten on by you every day has made him  
tougher than most."  
  
Akane's anger flared again.  
  
Ranma opened his eyes and stood up. "What do  
you want?"  
  
"What kind of monster are you?" she said  
hatefully.  
  
"Monster?" he said with a smirk on his face.  
"I know of monsters much worse than me." He  
strolled forward casually and stopped just in  
front of her. "Like the one you're fighting with  
right now. The one that's screaming at you to kill  
me, to strike me down with everything you've got."  
  
She paused and backed away from him.  
  
"Do you really think that little monster will  
be enough?" he said with a chuckle. "Try. Kill  
me."  
  
"What? What are you saying?" she snapped as  
she backed away from him.  
  
"I want you to kill me. Release me from this  
pain," he said with his scowl deepening suddenly.  
"Take my life, and end this path of destruction I  
am going down. Go ahead."  
  
She moved towards the door, backing away from  
him slowly.  
  
"Hmmm. Try another path," he thought to  
himself as he realized that she wasn't going to  
strike. Apparently the nobility within her wasn't  
as ingrained as he'd thought.  
  
"You want me to kill you?" she said warily.  
  
"No. I want you to try. If you don't, I'm  
going to kill you," he said coldly as his scowl  
turned into an evil smirk.  
  
Akane's eyes went wide as she saw him rush  
forward. His jaw slammed into her face and she  
staggered back. "No!"  
  
The boy didn't stop though he grabbed her by  
her hair and swung her into a nearby wall. She  
screamed in pain as she impacted and fell down to  
her side.  
  
"Well. Are you going to stop me or not? If  
not, I may as well have a little fun with you  
first." The implications of that statement made  
Akane's eyes go wide. She jumped upright suddenly  
and moved into a defensive stance.  
  
Ranma's eyes twinkled with an evil delight.  
"So, that's the button."  
  
"You pervert! I won't let you lay your hands  
on me!" she snarled. Her voice was trembling with  
fear.  
  
"Stop me then. Always on the defensive, never  
attacking," he said as he watched her for a  
moment.  
  
Akane charged, her face serious as she  
attacked. Ranma merely blocked or dodged her  
strikes, mostly dodging them. "Damn! He's..."  
thought the girl in terror.  
  
"Your strikes are weak," he said with a frown  
on his face. "You're not strong enough to beat me.  
You're suppressing your power."  
  
She growled and kicked at him, he merely  
flipped out of the way.  
  
"Stand and fight! Stop running away!" she  
snarled.  
  
"You're too weak for me to bother fighting  
back. You couldn't hurt me if I let you," he  
replied simply.  
  
Akane stepped back again, once more becoming  
wary of him. "What are you doing?"  
  
"What is it going to take Akane? Your  
virginity?" he said as he stepped towards her  
again. She merely jumped back away from him. "Or  
perhaps something more? Your sister? Her life? Is  
that enough?" said the boy coldly.  
  
Akane's eyes went wide. "No! You stay away  
from her!" she snapped as she rushed forward  
again, once again with the same power.  
  
"Perhaps their virginity?" he prodded as he  
easily dodged her.  
  
Akane was pushing herself to her ultimate  
limits. Her body couldn't take much more and she  
knew it. "No! You stay away from them!" she  
snapped. Her voice was laced with fear and  
something hidden much deeper.  
  
Ranma blocked her last punch and locked up her  
arm. His eyes were wild and angry as he glared  
directly into hers. "Release your anger! Only your  
hatred will destroy me!"  
  
Akane felt something inside her snap. She  
seemed to explode in rage, her arms and legs  
moving at speeds she never comprehended as  
possible.  
  
Ranma's face was serious as he dodged around  
the blows as easily as before. This time she held  
his concentration though, and he didn't speak  
until she collapsed onto the ground in tears.  
  
"Excellent," said the boy as he looked down at  
her and laughed. "Good."  
  
She looked up at him in horror as he laughed  
at her.  
  
"You've finally made the first step, Tendo,"  
said the boy coldly. "Now, you belong to me."  
  
Akane wanted to protest, to scream her  
defiance against him over and over. Something  
stopped her though. Something that terrified her  
more than this strange boy ever could.  
  
Whatever it was that she had unlocked inside  
herself, she wanted it. She wanted it so bad that  
she could taste it, and she knew he could give it  
to her. She hung her head in shame and stood up to  
stagger away. Ranma followed after her, but stayed  
in the living room as she walked up the stairs to  
her room.  
  
"What happened boy?" said Genma with only mild  
interest.  
  
"Akane and I had a discussion," said the boy  
calmly. "It seems we're more alike than I'd  
hoped."  
  
"Excellent, son!" exclaimed Soun.  
  
Kasumi sat at the end of the table. She had  
just finished cleaning the home and was set to  
relax for the rest of the evening. She sipped at  
her tea and smiled warmly at everyone. This act  
caused Ranma to flinch slightly. It bothered him a  
great deal to be near her when she was like this.  
  
Soun slapped Genma on his shoulder in pride at  
the fact that their plans were going so well.  
  
Genma chuckled and reached back to grab the  
bottle of Sake, to toast the union. His hand  
missed, and he knocked it over, spilling it across  
the floor.  
  
Genma chuckled as he lifted up the bottle from  
the ground and began pouring, completely ignoring  
the large wet spot. Soun did much the same, and  
offered up his own cup.  
  
Ranma's senses flared and he bolted upright  
with his eyes wide with shock. "What the?"  
  
Waves of hatred and anger, stronger than any  
he had felt before. They were pouring through the  
room.  
  
Slowly, he turned his head and started to  
smile.  
  
Kasumi Tendo was sitting cheerfully, her eyes  
glanced down at the wet spot for a mere moment.  
"Oh dear!" she exclaimed sweetly. "Don't worry  
father, I'll get that." With that the girl quietly  
and demurely stood up and went off to find a few  
things to clean up the mess.  
  
"Yes dear," said Soun cheerfully.  
  
Ranma's grin hadn't faded in the slightest. He  
stood up and walked out the back door of the home  
and into the yard. Slowly, he started to chuckle,  
it built up more and more. Finally, he was howling  
with laughter as he looked up at the sky.  
  
Genma and Soun paused their game and stared at  
the boy for a moment as he stood in the yard with  
his arms raised in triumph.  
  
"Is he all right Saotome?" asked Soun  
nervously.  
  
"He's fine Tendo. He just gets that way  
sometimes, it's nothing to worry about," said  
Genma with a shrug.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Ono Tofu sat up in his bed later that night.  
He was sweating, and he cried out in horror.  
"Kasumi!"  
  
He sat there in his sheets, simply staring  
blankly at the wall. "What was...?"  
  
The nightmare was gone from his mind. Only the  
sweat and a feeling of absolute terror had  
remained behind. "I..." He staggered out of bed  
and wiped his face, struggling to regain a piece  
of his memory.  
  
"I don't understand," he muttered to himself as he  
leaned over a sink and flicked on a light switch.  
His eyes stung with pain as the new light  
assaulted them.  
  
Finally, his vision focused and he splashed  
his face with water. He slowly looked up at his  
tired and haggard face in the mirror. Something  
had come to him, and it didn't make any sense.  
  
A pink beam of light. It was only four feet  
long, three people dressed in black. There wasn't  
anything more, but strangely it haunted him. He  
remembered a little more before it vanished from  
his mind completely. One of the figures was male,  
and he had a beam of light in his hand also, it  
was blood red.  
  
"What does it mean?" he asked himself.  
  
The late hour took its toll on him, and his  
eyes drooped in frustration. It was too late to  
think about it now, besides, it was just a dream.  
  
His jaw clenched suddenly as he stared at  
himself again. "How many times in the past have I  
had that thought?"  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
TBC...  



	3. Sith 3

Ranma Lord of the Sith  
  
Part 3  
  
The Darkness within her.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome sat in his bedroom in the middle  
of the night, his legs crossed and his eyes closed  
in concentration. A dark smile was on his lips as  
he reached out across the home. "Tell me your  
secrets," he said to himself.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Kasumi Tendo rolled in her bed, her sleep  
restless as she struggled with a nightmare. "No!"  
she whispered as she rolled onto her side and  
squeezed her eyes tightly shut.  
  
Inside her mind, she was standing in the  
middle of her home, or rather what was left of it.  
  
Clothes were strewn about all over the place;  
dirt and grime clung to every surface. There were  
stains and puddles all across the floor. She  
turned and almost shrieked in horror. Her  
immaculate kitchen was destroyed, clean only a few  
seconds before. "This can't be! I just..."  
  
Akane was standing behind the stove; the pans  
dirty and cluttered in stacks. Food was burned  
onto the surface of every pot. She was wiping her  
hands off with a dishtowel and tossed it over her  
shoulder carelessly. "Dang, that didn't work. I  
guess Kasumi can clean up this mess."  
  
She turned again and gasped, her father was  
squatting on top of the table with a bottle in his  
hands, pouring it out over a potted plant,  
splashing dirt and sake all over the tabletop. He  
picked up the plant and set it on a window. A  
moment later it fell to the ground, shattering and  
creating a pile of mud and broken pottery. "Oh  
well, someone else will clean that up."  
  
"Father!" gasped the girl as she stepped back  
in horror. Her rage burning inside her, but with  
no outlet, a cheery looking smile formed on her  
lips. "I'll get that! Oh my! I have so much to do  
today!"  
  
She paused as a cold feeling rushed up her  
spine. Someone was behind her. She turned her head  
slowly; looking at the black boots and cape that  
brushed the ground. "Are you going to just let  
them get away with this?" asked Ranma as he stared  
down at her.  
  
"What can I do?" she said fearfully as she  
backed away from him. Her instincts telling her to  
run. Every sense of her being told her to get as  
far away as she could, she stood, but found the  
boy in her path, blocking her way.  
  
Ranma smirked at her, his eyes glowing with a  
strange red power. "Kasumi, you can't run from me.  
I'm here to help you."  
  
"No!" muttered the girl as she flinched away  
from him. "You can't help me!"  
  
"Oh, but I can. Look at them, doesn't it  
disgust you?" he asked her as he nodded towards  
her family.  
  
The rest of the Tendo clan was now sitting  
around the table, eating messily and ignoring the  
filth that surrounded them. Genma was there as  
well, but he was almost faded. The pair of  
Saotome's hadn't really been in the home long  
enough to seep into her subconscious. It was  
obvious that Ranma had placed him there.  
  
"No! I love them!" she gasped.  
  
"They why do you hate them so much?" he  
countered coldly. "I can feel your anger. You hide  
it well, but your hatred of them is strong."  
  
"It's not true," she said with uncertainty  
filling her voice.  
  
"Ah, but it is. You know it's true Kasumi, you  
hate them. They are destructive, messy, uncaring.  
None of them appreciate anything you do for them.  
They're like pigs."  
  
The girl stared at her family, tears forming  
in her eyes. "No! It isn't true!" she demanded  
loudly as she pulled away from him.  
  
The family ignored the outburst behind them.  
  
"I love them! They're my family!"  
  
"Do you mind Kasumi! We're trying to eat!"  
said Akane as she turned to glare at the girl.  
  
Ranma smiled at the horrified expression that  
crossed the girl's face.  
  
"Even if it is true! There's nothing I can  
do!" she snapped as she glared at Ranma.  
  
"Ah, but there is. You don't know it yet, but  
I can show you the way. Your anger has made you  
strong Kasumi, I can feel the power of your  
hatred, aching to be released."  
  
"What?" stammered the girl as she stared at  
him.  
  
"I can make you strong, I can show you true  
power. Power to rule your own life, power to  
punish those that do not appreciate what you are.  
Power to finally be free of your prison."  
  
Kasumi's features softened as she looked at  
the ground. "Prison?"  
  
Ranma's evil smile widened, his eyes narrowed  
as he glanced at the family sitting around the  
table. "Yes. This place holds you from your  
dreams. I can feel that. It's time you released  
yourself, became the master of your own fate."  
  
"My own fate?" said the girl as she stared at  
her family. "But...they need me."  
  
"So, eliminate that need," said Ranma as he  
held out an object to her.  
  
Kasumi stared at it, she knew exactly what it  
was, and didn't know how. "I can't!"  
  
"Can't you? Even if this is only a dream?"  
replied Ranma.  
  
"Dream?" she muttered nervously.  
  
"Yes, for now. If you wish it, I can make it a  
reality. I am the only reality here besides you.  
Take the weapon; strike down those you hate so  
much. Let your anger and hatred fly, if only for  
once. Feel what it's like to be free."  
  
"Free?" said the girl as she slowly reached  
out for the weapon.  
  
"Yes," said Ranma with a hunger in his voice.  
"It's a wonderful thing Kasumi. The power to rule  
over those who oppose you."  
  
"I don't have power," replied the girl as she  
pulled her hand back.  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes, his cape rustling as  
his power jumped slightly from his frustration.  
"You do. Don't you even realize?"  
  
"What?" said the girl nervously.  
  
"The power within you, is greater even than  
the strength of your sister. You have the ability  
to surpass Akane. Let me show you the way!"  
  
Kasumi flinched from the commanding tone in  
the boy's voice. "Stronger than Akane? It can't  
be! Akane, she's a martial artist. She always  
wins..."  
  
"No, she is not," replied Ranma. "Nor am I."  
  
Kasumi looked up at him and immediately  
averted her eyes away. "She isn't?"  
  
"The power is within your grasp Kasumi Tendo,  
you need only take it. I can show you the way, the  
way to mold it to your will. It sits deep within  
your heart. The festering sore that burns within  
there. The scar these people placed there. The  
scar that wouldn't be there if she had lived."  
  
Kasumi's eyes flashed with anger, she glared  
up at him and frowned. "What would you know about  
that?"  
  
Ranma smiled. "What indeed? I know Kasumi, I  
know how she left you, abandoned you. Left you all  
alone to face this place, took away all your  
dreams."  
  
"How dare you!" cried the girl as she backed  
away.  
  
"I didn't, you did," replied Ranma. "I merely  
told you what was going through your mind at this  
very moment." He turned his head and looked at the  
table again. Where Genma had once been, was  
Kasumi's mother. She sat there; smiling cheerfully  
as the rest of her family ate around her.  
  
Kasumi gasped. "Mother?" Pain flashed through  
her eyes, pain and longing.  
  
Ranma smirked as something else appeared deep  
inside of her. "Betrayal."  
  
"No! Mother was sick! She..."  
  
"She gave up. You heard the doctor say it  
himself. She might have lived if she had not, at  
least long enough for you to escape." He stared at  
the woman for a moment. "She gave up. I wonder why  
she did that?"  
  
"Mother..." said the girl.  
  
Ranma smiled, the weapon still held out to  
Kasumi. "Now, it is time for you to take back what  
you have longed for. Take back your life. Make it  
your own."  
  
The girl's head moved slowly, back and forth  
between the weapon and her family. The feelings of  
pain and fear whirled around her like a typhoon,  
warring with the intense hatred that flashed like  
lightning.  
  
"I can feel your anger. You want this," said  
Ranma as he turned the weapon over in his hands.  
  
"I..."  
  
"Grasp the power, take the weapon. Do what you  
know in your heart you want too," said the boy  
firmly. "Take your place!"  
  
Kasumi turned away, slowly. Her back faced  
Ranma and she shook as she sobbed and leaned  
against the wall. Her hand slid and she stopped  
long enough to look at it. Her palm was now black  
with the grime that was there.  
  
Ranma smiled in triumph as the girl whirled  
around, snatching the lightsaber from his hand. It  
came to life as her hatred suddenly exploded and  
she charged her family with a vicious looking  
snarl on her face. "Nooooo!" she screamed as she  
realized what was happening.  
  
Akane's head rolled across the ground, and her  
family all looked up at her. The girl was looking  
at what she'd done in horror. Her feelings  
starting to fade.  
  
Ranma frowned at this, and glared at Soun.  
  
"Kasumi dear, I do hope you plan to clean that  
up! We have guests coming over today. They'll be  
here any minute."  
  
The girl's hatred flared again, stronger than  
ever. She screamed in anger and began to hack into  
her family, her strokes growing in strength with  
each blow. "Die! Die! Die damn you!"  
  
"Excellent! Excellent!" said Ranma as he  
laughed behind her. "Now Kasumi Tendo, you, like  
your sister, are now...mine."  
  
Kasumi fell to her knees, only partly  
registering the boy's voice. Tears streaked down  
her cheeks as the power that filled her slowly  
faded. It wasn't something she could put her  
finger on, but she didn't feel sorry at all. There  
was no guilt, no remorse this time. Only a feeling  
like Ranma had described, and she knew it wasn't  
him doing it. She was free.  
  
Slowly she stood up and turned to face him.  
The weapon shut down in her hand and she looked at  
him in a sort of awe. "I...I'm free."  
  
Ranma smirked at this and took a step towards  
her. The girl walked up to him and handed him the  
lightsaber. He took it and smiled at her.  
  
Kasumi didn't know why she knelt on the ground  
in front of him, but it felt right, disturbingly  
so. She didn't care though and merely shook her  
head for a moment.  
  
"I am your master now Kasumi Tendo. I will  
teach you what you need to know, but I will do it  
in dreams. This is how I was taught, and how I  
will show you the path to true power."  
  
Kasumi nodded. "Akane?"  
  
"Akane has uses to me, I will show her only  
what I want her to know. You will be my true heir,  
my right hand. Akane will become strong,  
infinitely so, but you...you will surpass her."  
  
Kasumi nodded and looked at the ground.  
  
"Tell no one of what you saw, your dreams are  
your own. This is very important, there are those  
who would stop you, and you are not yet strong  
enough to defend yourself from them. In time, all  
will be revealed."  
  
Ranma faded away and Kasumi was alone. She  
turned and saw the home was now immaculate, not a  
speck of dust on the tables or a single spot on  
the floor.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Ranma opened his eyes and smiled. The power  
around him faded away, leaving him sitting in the  
room while his father snored loudly at his side.  
He turned to look at the man for a moment and  
stood up.  
  
He was tired and drained, but not sleepy. The  
effort of controlling the dream had told him that  
his master was much more powerful than he was,  
having done that every night to him since he  
discovered him. It was probably why he had faded  
away in the end, using the last of his power to  
teach the boy what he needed to know.  
  
He turned and looked out the window of his  
room for a moment and then back at his father  
again. The night was still young, the Tendo family  
tended to turn in early, and it hadn't really been  
more than an hour since they had gone to bed. He  
opened the window and pulled his traveling bag out  
from a corner. He began to dig through it and  
chuckled to himself as he pulled out a folded  
piece of cloth.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Ranma smiled as he stood on the roof to the  
Tendo home, the black cape billowing in the wind,  
and a belt now hung from his hip with his  
lightsaber attached. It was hidden away by the  
folds of his pants mostly, but within easy reach.  
"This place is new, I should see what I can find."  
He jumped down and into the streets.  
  
+++++++++++  
  
After about an hour of walking, he found  
himself in the middle of a small quiet  
neighborhood. He had liked what he had found so  
far; the place was silent, almost like a ghost  
town. The sounds of the city could be heard far in  
the distance, but where he stood was little more  
than desolate. It was the perfect place to train  
his students.  
  
Something caught his attention suddenly. A  
shift in the air, a dark presence not very far  
away. He frowned as he searched it out for a  
moment, seeking to discover what it was, and what  
it meant to him, if anything.  
  
"It's close...moving...this way," he said to  
himself as he stood firmly in the middle of the  
street and waited. After a moment of thought, he  
glanced aside and stepped into the shadows of a  
small alley between two of the homes. With that,  
he crouched low and waited.  
  
His wait was not long, cloaked in shadows he  
frowned at the thing that appeared before him.  
"What is that?" he muttered under his breath. It  
clearly wasn't human. Yet it fit no species of  
alien his master had told him of.  
  
It's brown skin was clammy and wrinkled, and  
it's eyes glowed with an eerie white light. It  
looked almost like a deformed dead human. The  
fangs and claws told him that it probably wasn't  
human, at least, not any longer.  
  
It simply stood in the middle of the street  
and glanced around anxiously. A dark power Ranma  
didn't recognize seemed to radiate around it.  
  
Slowly, it turned and looked directly at him.  
A disgusting looking grin formed on its face and  
Ranma stood up. "Who are you?" he stated as he  
stepped out of the shadows and frowned.  
  
"Human! Give me your power!" screeched the  
thing.  
  
Ranma scowled and snorted in disgust. The  
thing was brainless.  
  
"Take it," he stated coldly as he moved out  
into the street in front of him. His anger hidden  
behind a calculated mask of indifference.  
  
Another voice surprised him; it was young and  
feminine, laced with concern. "No! Get away!"  
  
Ranma blinked as he found himself surrounded  
by five young girls. They were wearing what  
appeared to be modified school uniforms. "What?  
How did they? I didn't feel them at all?" his mind  
screamed in shock.  
  
"You'll all die!" screamed the monster as it  
moved forward despite the odds.  
  
"Get out of here! We'll handle this!" said the  
brunette who stood closest to him.  
  
The blonde girl who had spoken to him first  
frowned as he stood staring at him. "Don't worry.  
The Senshi will take care of this." She smiled  
nervously and winked at him. Her pigtails bobbed  
as she turned to look at the thing for a moment.  
  
Ranma found himself smirking as he felt the  
fear well up inside her. She was absolutely  
terrified of the thing. "Well, should I feel safe  
then?" he said out loud as he turned to stare at  
the thing.  
  
The girls gasped in shock as the monster  
ignored them and dove for the boy. Ranma cursed as  
he stepped back. He hadn't been expecting it to  
move so fast, its power was miniscule, and it had  
a strange crystal in its grasp.  
  
The pair passed one another and the girls  
gasped as the boy slowly turned his head down to  
look at the thing's severed arm on the ground. The  
crystal clattered across the asphalt and the sword  
in his hand hummed with power. Ranma glanced up at  
them and frowned, not sure of what to do. He  
tensed himself to fight, thinking that they knew  
too much.  
  
"Senshi! Stop! Get out of his way!" said a  
tiny voice that his ears barely picked up.  
  
"What?" gasped Mars in shock as she and the  
others turned defensively on Ranma.  
  
He readied himself, holding his lightsaber  
upright. "Damn."  
  
"He doesn't need your help, let it be!" said  
the tiny voice. Ranma frowned when he saw the tiny  
headset on the blonde's ear.  
  
The monster was kneeling on the ground,  
holding it's severed limb in pain. It wasn't  
screaming, but Ranma could sense the anger  
emanating from the creature. The girls backed  
away, watching the battle in confusion.  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes at the thing and held  
up his hand.  
  
The thing was lifted off of its feet and held  
upright, strangling in the air with its toes  
barely above the ground. "Who are you? Who do you  
work for?"  
  
"You'll be destroyed!" snarled the monster.  
  
"I doubt that," sneered Ranma as he pushed the  
thing's throat closed a little more. "Answer my  
question monster." His tone was warning.  
  
"I serve Nephrite! General under Beryl, the  
dark queen!" gasped the thing.  
  
"Thank you," said Ranma as he closed his fist  
completely. The thing's windpipe was shattered,  
and he could feel the blood rushing into the  
monster's throat, drowning it as it already  
suffocated. It shuddered violently and then  
vanished into nothing.  
  
One of the girls stepped forward as the boy  
shut down his blade and glared at them. She had  
short cut blue hair and the colors of her uniform  
matched that. "Who are you?" she whispered more to  
herself than him.  
  
"I am Ranma Saotome, who are you?" he replied  
calmly.  
  
"What? We're the Sailor Senshi! Where have you  
been?" snapped the one with long blonde hair.  
  
"China," he replied as he leveled his glare on  
her. He was slowly starting to understand the  
situation.  
  
"I don't believe it! A Jedi!" said a familiar  
voice. Ranma smirked as he recognized it from the  
small communicator the lead girl had used. He felt  
his anger burst to life at the term she had used,  
but suppressed it.  
  
A small black cat was standing behind him, her  
eyes wide with awe. She sat down and stared up at  
him.  
  
Ranma gasped in horror, taking a single step  
back. Fear welled up inside him and he quickly  
used it to feed his power, defending himself  
against the side effects of his ill-gotten  
training. He calmed visibly and stared at the  
thing. "A Moon Cat."  
  
Luna nodded slowly. "Don't be afraid girls."  
  
The group slowly started to move in around  
him.  
  
"What's a Jedi?" muttered the lead girl  
dumbly.  
  
The shorthaired girl was already working on a  
small laptop. "This is..." She smiled at the man.  
"They were defenders of the Universe. An order of  
powerful warriors. They were one of the strongest  
allies we had during the Silver Millenium."  
  
"Huh?" said the brunette.  
  
"Intergalactic police it sounds like," offered  
the one with long dark hair.  
  
"Yes, not quite, but it's close enough," said  
the shorthaired girls.  
  
"I see, so you are this planet's Shanishi,"  
said Ranma as an understanding seemed to come  
across his face.  
  
"Shanishi?" muttered Usagi.  
  
"My master told me of them. They are rare, but  
a few planets have them, there are rumors of ones  
strong enough to hold entire galaxies under their  
protection." He smiled at the girls coolly.  
"Shanishi, it is a word that means 'Planetary  
Defender'. It's an old practice, most planets  
don't use them anymore. Although, why one planet  
this backwater would need five of you is beyond  
me."  
  
He smirked to himself as he looked at them.  
Shanishi were said to be as strong as a Jedi  
Knight, a few could even rival the power of a Jedi  
Master. However, these girls were young, and  
inexperienced. No threat to him yet. In fact...  
  
"So, what are you doing on this planet?" asked  
the cat.  
  
"This is my planet. My master found me here  
and trained me when I was very young. He taught me  
many things about the Universe."  
  
Luna gasped. "You mean, there is another?" she  
muttered hopefully.  
  
"No, he is gone," said Ranma calmly.  
  
"I see," said the cat as it hung its head. "We  
need your help. This planet is in great peril. A  
force invades us, a dark and evil presence."  
  
Ranma looked down at her and smiled. "I'll do  
what I can, but you must understand. My power is  
limited here, as is my authority."  
  
"That is all we ask," said Luna.  
  
"Wait! What do you mean 'limited'?" snapped  
Rei.  
  
Luna stood in front of her and glared angrily.  
"Rei!"  
  
"I cannot interfere directly. Planetary  
takeovers are tragic, but healthy for the system  
as a whole. They are not illegal if done  
correctly, especially since the one who plans to  
take over this world, is a native."  
  
He turned to look at Usagi again. His smile  
widening as an old memory surfaced. A history  
lesson, he had always hated that part of his  
training. Still, it was now becoming useful in a  
way that he could not have imagined. "All I can  
do, is offer my protection. I can defend a person,  
not the planet. I shall defend you, Princess  
Serenity."  
  
The girls all gasped in shock as they stared  
at him.  
  
"How...did..." stammered Usagi dumbly.  
  
"You look like your ancestor," he replied with  
a small chuckle. "Exactly like her."  
  
"This Beryl, she is...from Earth?" said  
Mercury as she stepped forward.  
  
"Yes," said Ranma calmly. "If she was from  
another place, I could possibly help you. Jedi to  
not become involved in conflicts of a planet's  
politics. Not even his own planet. It is a  
safeguard against the overuse of our power."  
  
The girls all looked uncomfortable at this  
statement.  
  
"We haven't introduced ourselves. I am Luna,"  
said the small cat as she bowed her head in  
apology. "These girls are Sailor Moon, Sailor  
Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and Sailor  
Jupiter." The animal nodded towards each of them,  
and the girl responded by raising her hand in  
greeting.  
  
"I see, so they are not of this planet. That  
explains why so many of your are on this one. Your  
planets were rendered inhospitable by the fall of  
the Silver Millenium, and you came here,  
fascinating."  
  
The girls once again looked uncomfortable.  
  
"We'll meet again, I'm certain of that," said  
Ranma calmly. He turned away, his cape billowing  
dramatically in the wind.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Nephrite growled as he finished re-watching the  
scene play out from a small crystal. "Damn. A  
Jedi? This is..." I light rain had started only a  
few seconds before, and the senshi had already  
dispersed and gone to wherever it was that they  
went. He would give his arm to find that out, but  
that was a question for another time. The  
transformation actually made them difficult to  
follow, even though the amount of magical power  
involved should have made them shine like beacons.  
Somehow, whoever had enchanted them had taken that  
into account, and made it nearly impossible to  
track their movements, even by following them.  
  
"It is what?" said an amused sounding voice  
from behind him.  
  
Nephrite froze, he slowly turned around and  
stared at the girl who was standing behind him on  
the rooftop. "Who?"  
  
A redhead, her pigtail drooped down her back,  
and she was dressed as the boy in the image was.  
"Jedi!" he snarled angrily as he backed away,  
creating a porthole behind himself to escape.  
  
The girl frowned and raised her hand. Nephrite  
was lifted off the ground as easily as his minion  
was, and found himself suspended off the edge of  
the rooftop he had been standing on. "Jedi? You  
dare compare me to such a weak being?"  
  
The man's eyes were wide with terror. "What?  
Who are you?"  
  
"I am Darth Ken'o, you must be Nephrite," said  
the girl calmly. "I sensed your dark presence and  
decided to come and see. Tell me, what are you  
planning?"  
  
"Darth Ken'o?" muttered Nephrite through his  
gasps. A memory long since buried surfaced in his  
mind. The name, not hers, but something from the  
distant past. "Darth Okkota!" he muttered through  
his strain.  
  
"So, you have heard of my master?" said the girl  
as she pulled him back onto the roof and let him  
fall to the ground. "Interesting."  
  
"Master?" muttered the man as he stood up  
slowly and stared at her in open shock.  
"You're..."  
  
"I know what I am, tell me who you are, and  
why I shouldn't destroy you and whatever else lies  
on the other side of that porthole?" Her eyes  
glowed with power for a moment as she sneered at  
him fearlessly.  
  
Nephrite gasped and backed away in horror. He  
knew she could do it if what she said was true,  
and he'd seen nothing to discount that fact. "I  
serve Queen Beryl! Your master, was once our  
ally!"  
  
Ranma smirked at this, "So Beryl still lives  
does she? I had thought Serenity destroyed her."  
  
"Sealed her away, with Metallia," corrected  
Nephrite. "She has awakened again."  
  
"Who? Beryl or Metallia?" said Ranma with an  
amused tone.  
  
"We await the awakening of Metallia, she is  
not fully revived yet," said Nephrite carefully.  
  
"I see, and that thing that tried to steal the  
Jedi's power. It was collecting power from these  
weak fools for this?" said the girl as she nodded  
in understanding. She reared her head back and  
laughed. "Oh, how rich. The past repeats itself."  
  
"No. The Senshi are weak, we can destroy them  
this time. Serenity does not hold the crystal this  
time. We will find it first, and destroy them!"  
Nephrite stood upright, a commanding tone to his  
statement.  
  
"So, they don't hold the crystal this time?"  
said the girl as her face became serious. She was  
becoming glad that her master had forced her to  
learn all those things about her own planet's  
history now. "That means the outcome is  
questionable this time."  
  
Nephrite frowned at this. "The outcome is  
assured. We will destroy them."  
  
Ranma glared at him for a moment and he fell  
to his knees, clutching desperately at his throat.  
"Don't question me again."  
  
She paced back and fourth while Nephrite  
strangled, contemplating. "What should I do? Who  
should I side with? The outcome is questionable,  
perhaps I should distance myself from..." Then she  
realized, she was already doing it. A cold smile  
formed down on her lips as she looked down at  
herself and then back at Nephrite.  
  
The man was nearly blacked out from his  
struggles. She released him and strolled up to his  
side. "Tell this Beryl, I wish to speak with her.  
Meet me here, tomorrow night at this time. She  
will come to me, I will not come to her."  
  
Nephrite stood up and growled at her.  
  
"Do not forget this," said the girl in a  
warning tone. "You will regret it if you do."  
  
The man nodded, and finally took his porthole  
away from the rooftop.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Ranma sat at the breakfast table the next day,  
he was still a bit tired from the night before,  
but that wasn't too much of a problem. He'd gotten  
enough sleep after he'd returned. He didn't need  
much really. A full night every week or so and he  
could feed off his power for a few days.  
  
Kasumi walked out with a bucket of rice in her  
hands with a cheerful smile on her face.  
  
Ranma looked up at her and smiled. It wasn't  
quite an unpleasant grin, but it was hardly  
friendly.  
  
Kasumi gasped in shock as her eyes fixed on  
the table. She almost dropped what she was  
carrying. Sitting beside Ranma on the table, was  
the thing he had given her in the dream. She was  
visibly shaken, but quickly regained her  
composure.  
  
"Kasumi dear! Are you feeling all right?"  
asked Soun in concern. He was halfway standing and  
ready to rush to his daughter's side. Of course,  
his action caused his drink to fall over and spill  
across the table and onto the floor. He ignored it  
in favor of worrying about his daughter.  
  
Kasumi's expression actually changed slightly.  
Her eyes filled with hate, while the cheerful  
smile remained. "Oh! I'm just fine father. Don't  
worry. You should clean that up though, and be  
more careful."  
  
Soun looked down at his drink and blinked.  
"Um, yes. I should."  
  
Ranma smiled at the girl, and was taken  
slightly by surprise. "So, she's a fast learner.  
Excellent," he thought to himself.  
  
++++++++++  
  
A short time later, Ranma walked through the  
hallway in a pair of boxers being the only thing  
she was wearing. She was in her female form, and a  
light rain fell outside the home.  
  
"No," said the pigtailed girl calmly as she  
continued on her way without stopping.  
  
"Ranma, all your clothes are in the wash now,"  
said Kasumi as she walked up to her with a blush  
on her face.  
  
"Yes, I know," replied the girl.  
  
"Oh, well let me fill your bath now so  
that..." started Kasumi.  
  
"You can't just walk around naked you know!"  
snapped Nabiki as she took up the position beside  
her sister.  
  
"Can't I?" said Ranma calmly as she continued  
to walk down the stairs with both girls following  
after her.  
  
"You're a guest aren't you?" cried Nabiki  
angrily.  
  
"Don't you have anything better to do?" said  
Ranma as she waved her hand in front of the girl's  
face.  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" snarled  
Nabiki coldly as she glared at the girl.  
  
Ranma narrowed her eyes at the girl for a  
moment. "You should really find something else to  
do."  
  
"Don't change the subject!" snapped Nabiki.  
  
"Oh my!" said Kasumi as she turned away from  
her master's frustration and quickly found  
something else to be doing.  
  
Ranma was perplexed. She'd used this trick on  
Nabiki before and it had worked fine, now the girl  
seemed to be immune. She was unable to sway her  
mind. "This could be a problem," she thought  
darkly.  
  
"Come on! It's just clothes! You don't even  
have to wear a skirt," said Nabiki as she grabbed  
the girl by the shoulder and started to pull at  
her.  
  
Ranma reacted instantly. Nabiki wasn't even  
sure what hit her. She was just sprawled across  
the floor, with a small trickle of blood seeping  
from her nose and an intense pain in her shoulder.  
Ranma was already walking away.  
  
The girl looked up from her place on the floor  
and groaned. She saw Akane sitting at the table  
looking at her. The girl had a hard frown on her  
face. "She..." Her eyes went wide with shock as  
Akane smirked at her and made a tiny chuckle  
before turning back to watch the back yard.  
  
"Wha? Akane?" she muttered to herself as she  
stood up and rubbed at her shoulder. The blood  
tickled her lip as it dripped down her face.  
"What? You're not going to do anything?" she  
muttered as she glared at her sister.  
  
"You should learn to take care of yourself,"  
replied the younger girl calmly.  
  
Nabiki nodded and started towards the  
bathroom. "I see."  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
"Where is Furinkan High School?"  
  
"If it's Tokyo, it's five hundred miles south  
of here."  
  
Ryoga Hibiki would wander for another week  
before he found what he was searching for.  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
TBC...  
  
Next Time: Deal with the Devil...  



	4. Sith 4

Ranma Lord of the Sith   
  
Part 4   
  
Deal with the Devil.   
  
++++++++++++++   
  
Ranma Saotome sat in the dojo   
meditating. His face a frown of   
thoughtfulness as he considered his   
situation. There was a lot to work out   
in this new place, and he wasn't used to   
staying in one place very long.   
  
Genma was fat and happy at the   
moment, enjoying his slacking off. Ranma   
found this idea comforting. If the old   
man became too weak, he would finally   
have a good reason to get rid of him.   
Still, he needed him for more than   
expanding his own skills for a little   
while longer at least. Akane and Kasumi   
were still new to him, and he needed   
time to cement his hold on them a little   
more.   
  
Soun and Genma's pathetic friendship   
would serve as an excuse to hang around.   
The bumbling fools would try to unite   
their pathetic excuse for a school, and   
allow him more time to do as he pleased.   
As long as the elder Saotome was around,   
he had all the time he needed. Putting   
the idiots' personal plans off for a   
while was a good way to do that.   
  
He had other concerns though. Nabiki   
Tendo was the next problem to pop into   
his mind. The girl's power was pathetic,   
miniscule even. She had no potential for   
any kind of training. Still, she had   
shown her mind to be surprisingly   
strong. She could be useful, but she   
could also be dangerous. He would need   
to think long and hard on her. "Maybe I   
should just be rid of her, but not just   
yet." Akane and Kasumi might not like   
that much. Not that he cared much, but   
it wasn't time yet to push them quite   
that far. If he rid himself of her, he   
would have to do it discreetly.   
  
Tofu. The most dangerous part of the   
equation in his mind. He had to be rid   
of the man. There was no question about   
that at all. Still, he had to consider   
his options carefully. He knew nothing   
about the man so far, but that could be   
fixed easily enough. He knew the man was   
no Jedi, but how aware of his own power   
was he? How dangerous was he really? It   
was something he had to deal with now,   
or it would become a very risky   
situation for him. He frowned and sighed   
as he relaxed his mind a bit more.   
  
The battle between the Shanishi and   
Beryl could become something of a tool   
for him. He would have to tread   
carefully, but his best option had   
already appeared for him. In a short   
time, he would go to deal with part of   
that little issue, but he still had time   
first.   
  
Playing Jedi for the Shanishi was   
somewhat disturbing, but not unheard of.   
He didn't like the idea much, but was   
pleased with the opportunities it could   
offer him. Now, he just had to make sure   
they continued to trust him. That could   
take some work, but if his plans worked   
out, he could work out something without   
much trouble at all.   
  
A dark smile formed on his face as   
he looked up at the clock that sat on   
the wall. "It's time."   
  
++++++++++++   
  
"Boy! Where are you going?" said   
Genma as his son strolled towards the   
door of the home with a cloth draped   
over his arm.   
  
"Out, I won't be back until later,"   
responded Ranma calmly.   
  
"Ranma-sempai? Are you leaving?"   
asked Kasumi as she stepped out of the   
kitchen with her maddening grin on her   
face.   
  
He smirked at the title slightly and   
nodded. "Don't wait for me, I'll see you   
this evening Kasumi."   
  
The girl nodded and went back into   
the kitchen without another word.   
  
Genma blinked at the exchange and   
turned towards the boy again. "What's   
this about boy?"   
  
"It's nothing to concern yourself   
about, just some...training," replied   
Ranma as he smirked at the man.   
  
Genma's face became somewhat dazed   
for a moment and he nodded. "Oh, well.   
I'd better not catch you slacking off   
boy!"   
  
Ranma shook his head. "Just keep   
slacking off yourself, and I won't have   
anything to worry about old man."   
  
Genma had already turned away, his   
mind telling him that there was nothing   
interesting going on with his son.   
Surely a game of Shogi with Soun would   
allow for more interest that the lazy   
boy would.   
  
Ranma chuckled as he stepped   
outside. He still enjoyed doing that to   
the old man. It was pathetic how easy it   
was.   
  
A light rain started to fall as he   
walked through the streets. The sky was   
growing dark, not only because of the   
sun falling, but also the storm that was   
brewing on the horizon. He smiled to   
himself as he walked towards Juban, into   
the dark clouds in the distance.   
  
+++++++++++++   
  
Beryl stood on the rooftop in Juban.   
She stared out into the city with a cold   
scowl on her face. The sun had gone   
down, and Nephrite stood at her side,   
along with two large and ugly Youma. It   
was raining, but neither one appeared   
wet.   
  
The man cursed under his breath as   
he glared into the darkness below.   
"She's late."   
  
"You had best hope that is all she   
is Nephrite," said Beryl calmly.   
  
The man turned to face her and   
nodded for a moment. "She told me she   
would be here. You know how   
unreliable..."   
  
"Unreliable? If what you told me was   
true, and it had better be, then she has   
been here for some time now," said the   
Dark Queen as she leveled her gaze on   
her General for a moment.   
  
Thunder crashed and the pair turned   
to face a shadowy figure that was   
silhouetted against the darkness for a   
split second. It was gone again as the   
shadows returned after the blast of   
light, the rumble hit them and they   
continued to stare as the figure   
appeared again, seeming to melt from the   
darkness in front of them.   
  
Nephrite growled and stepped back.   
It was her, he could feel it. The cold   
darkness that swirled around her,   
unhidden, as it was the night before. He   
had felt it when she had him in her grip   
for the briefest of moments. It was   
unmistakable. She was dressed   
differently now, instead of a cape, she   
wore a hooded robe that covered her   
completely.   
  
Beryl stepped forward fearlessly as   
she stared at the girl for a moment. "I   
should destroy you for bringing me out   
here."   
  
The girl's chin shifted as her lips   
turned into a cold smile, it was the   
only part of her skin either one of them   
could see.   
  
Beryl snarled as she felt the icy   
power close around her throat. She   
pushed it back with her own power, but   
it was a losing battle. "You destroy me?   
Don't be foolish. Not even Metallia's   
power can destroy me, even in death, I   
live on."   
  
Beryl found herself chuckling as she   
clutched at her throat for a moment. Her   
eyes bored into the girl's hood,   
challenging her icily. She had no fear;   
it was as if she could not fear her.   
  
Ranma released her and looked up at   
them, revealing only a little more of   
her face under the hood. The lightning   
crashed again and she walked in front of   
them, back and fourth while looking the   
pair up and down. "You are not as strong   
as you once were Beryl. These Shanishi   
will destroy you."   
  
"Ha! Those pathetic weaklings are   
nothing! Their powers deluded by the   
passage of time!"   
  
"Only their experience is diluted,   
not their power. In time, you will see   
to correcting that yourself."   
  
"What?" snarled Beryl angrily.   
  
"What is it you seek Beryl?" asked   
the girl coldly as she stared forward   
with her piercing blue eyes.   
  
"I will rule all," she snarled   
hatefully. "I will become forever!"   
  
"Pathetic, you're as shallow and   
stupid as you always were. I have no   
reason to help you." Ranma started to   
turn away and smirked.   
  
She could feel the waves of anger   
flowing off of both of them. Hatred and   
murderous intent. Neither of them was   
stupid enough to attack though.   
  
"You will stand with is in victory,   
the entire planet would be my gift to   
you!" said Beryl through her teeth.   
  
"I have foreseen only death for you,   
not victory. Your promise is hollow,   
although..." The girl turned to face   
Beryl and stepped towards her again. "I   
may still have a use for you."   
  
"What do you mean?" she asked   
carefully.   
  
"You're a fool to believe that your   
lies are not transparent Beryl. You   
would never allow for a force like me to   
stand. Sooner or later, we would be   
opposed."   
  
The woman scowled at this and turned   
her head away.   
  
"My master knew this, as do I.   
You're foolish to believe you can lie to   
us. I should destroy you now, and be   
done with it. However, you may be useful   
to me, and the Shanishi are irritatingly   
strong."   
  
Beryl kept her eyes on the girl,   
both of her Youma guards moved in   
agitation. Nephrite was surprisingly   
indifferent now, and said nothing. He   
stood off to the side with his arms   
crossed in front of his chest.   
  
"I will help you, to destroy these   
women. You lost all hope when they   
discovered the Jedi Ranma."   
  
"What?" said Beryl in shock.   
  
"There is another, who opposes me   
here," said the girl calmly. "The Jedi   
Knight, Ranma Saotome. He cannot   
interfere with the battle directly, but   
he has chosen to protect the Princess   
Serenity. That is something you have no   
hope of defeating. You need me."   
  
"And you need us," said Beryl with a   
smirk forming on her face.   
  
"Don't be foolish, my patience is   
limitless, as is my power. You're just a   
convenience," replied Ranma with a small   
chuckle.   
  
The woman's face fell, her fangs   
protruding over her lips as she worked   
her clawed fingers in agitation. "You   
are not as strong as you think you are   
Sith. Your master was foolish to believe   
that he was."   
  
"My master survived, did you?"   
replied Ranma coldly.   
  
Beryl hissed in undisguised hatred.   
"He lied to us! Betrayed us for his own   
ends."   
  
"Of course he did, did you really   
think he would help you to rule his   
galaxy?" replied the redhead coolly.   
  
Beryl snorted in disgust. "He   
assured us victory, not thousands of   
years in darkness."   
  
"Fool, don't you realize? My master   
didn't lie. Victory was yours, you just   
weren't prepared for the price of   
victory." Ranma turned her back to the   
pair and chuckled. "Ah, I can feel your   
rage. You know it's true don't you? My   
master gave you what you asked for, and   
you hate him more for that than anything   
else."   
  
"You are going to help us?" snarled   
Nephrite as he grew impatient.   
  
Ranma turned to face him, anger   
flashing on her features as another bolt   
struck the ground in the distance. The   
thunder rumbled, drowning out the man's   
chokes as he struggled for his life.   
"Yes, I will help you. As disgusting as   
you are, you are more desirable than   
those weak little girls. Give me what I   
need, and I will ensure victory." She   
smirked again as she released the man   
and he fell on his face gasping for   
breath. "My victory," she added   
mentally.   
  
"Very well. For now, we shall be   
allies, together, we will destroy these   
new Shanishi," said Beryl with a small   
chuckle. "You'll destroy that Jedi for   
us at least. Even if you survive that,   
with the power of the Silver Imperium   
Crystal, you won't stand against me,"   
she thought to herself.   
  
"Very well," said Ranma as she   
walked up to the woman and smirked. "So   
it shall be, for now, I shall help you."   
  
+++++++++++++++   
  
Ono Tofu sat on the edge of his bed.   
He hadn't gotten a good night of sleep   
in a week. Sweat covered his brow as he   
stared down at the floor and gasped for   
breath. "That dream..." he muttered   
under his breath. It had grown less and   
less clear over time.   
  
One thing remained despairingly   
clear though. "Kasumi..." He staggered   
to his feet and staggered over to the   
sink. He stared into his reflection, his   
face was unshaven and his eyes were   
bloodshot. "What's happening to me?"   
  
He sighed and splashed his face,   
desperately trying to clear his mind.   
The swirl of emotion was too much   
though, and he felt tears run down his   
cheeks mixed in with the tap. "I know I   
have to help her...but I don't know   
what's wrong!"   
  
He looked up into the mirror again   
and frowned. His reflection had changed.   
His jaw hung down as he stared into the   
eyes of the boy he had seen on the   
street. He shook his head in confusion   
and started to step back.   
  
The reflection reached out and   
grabbed his shoulders. "You can't save   
her Tofu. Don't you know she's mine?"   
  
"What?" he muttered.   
  
"Think you can kill her?" asked the   
boy with a wild and crazed look in his   
eyes. "You'll never save her, and it's   
your only choice."   
  
A feminine voice from behind him   
spoke up. "Maybe there's still hope?"   
  
The boy's image vanished and Tofu   
tried to turn and see who had spoken to   
him. He couldn't do it and looked at the   
mirror again. This time it was a young   
girl, she was pretty with long violet   
hair flowing down her back. He could   
only see up to her waist and she frowned   
at him. "Perhaps it not so dark as seem?   
Hope?"   
  
The girl's image faded into a   
rotting body. It was dressed in a   
tattered and dirty white robe, with its   
long dark hair flowing down its head.   
Two empty sockets stared back at him.   
Slowly, the image faded away into his   
own body. "There is no hope."   
  
+++++++++++++   
  
Ono Tofu jumped upright in his bed.   
His sheets were soaked and he screamed   
out loud as the rush of reality hit him   
again. He sat there gasping for breath.   
He couldn't move, fearful that he might   
be trapped in another dream again.   
  
His visions were getting worse, and   
more disturbing. "I've got to go talk to   
Kasumi," he muttered under his breath.   
"This is more than a dream."   
  
He flopped back down onto his bed,   
ignoring the cold wet sensation across   
his back. He swallowed a few times as he   
regained his breath and then sat up   
again. "I've got to find out what's   
going on...this is...too much."   
  
His bare feet touched the tile floor   
and he staggered to his feet,   
deliberately avoiding the mirror this   
time. He sat down at the small table and   
turned on the small coffee machine that   
was set in the middle of it.   
  
Slowly he turned his head and   
frowned. The curtains were blowing in   
the wind, the window was open. The storm   
outside was just starting and the wind   
was becoming more violent. He stood up   
and walked towards the open window. "I   
didn't leave that open." He turned and   
walked into the clinic, searching around   
with terror gripping his heart.   
  
A chill ran down his spine and he   
turned to glance around the room.   
"What's going on here?"   
  
It was glaring at him from one of   
the doorways of the clinic. He paused   
and turned his head in confusion. The   
thing was standing there like some kind   
of statue.   
  
"What?"   
  
"The master...she doesn't want your   
power. It is strange," said the thing   
without moving.   
  
"Who are you? What do you want?" he   
muttered as he stepped back.   
  
"Kill you..." hissed the thing as   
its eyes started to glow. It's lips   
turned into a cruel smile as it started   
to move forward. "Kiiillll youuuuu..."   
  
Tofu stepped back and stumbled   
across the counter as he backed into it.   
  
  
The thing reached for him with its   
claws and snarled with hatred. "Your   
life! It ends now!"   
  
Without thinking, Tofu's almost   
forgotten training kicked in. He ducked   
under the strike and lashed out with his   
foot, kicking the thing in its chest.   
  
It stepped back and grunted under   
the force, but appeared to be unharmed.   
  
"What the?" he muttered in horror as   
it started to reach for him again. This   
time his attack was more deliberate, his   
hands lashing out to block and strike   
out at it with his fingers.   
  
Six spots were struck on the thing's   
body. It chuckled as it ignored the   
shiatsu points that had been struck.   
"Weak, you cannot defeat me!"   
  
Tofu screamed in terror and defiance   
as he dove into the thing and tackled it   
to the ground. He rolled away and made   
it to his feet first, stopping long   
enough to kick it in the teeth as it   
rose from the ground.   
  
The creature shook it's head and   
spit out several of its teeth, ignoring   
the pain that it should be feeling.   
"You'll pay for that."   
  
Tofu started to run, but felt   
something stop him. It was a force   
pulling his power from his body. "I   
should have done this from the start,"   
said the thing.   
  
"You're not really here," gasped   
Tofu as he turned to look at the thing.   
"This is just...a puppet..."   
  
The creature was holding some sort   
of crystal in its claws. It was starting   
to glow with his internal energy. Tofu   
felt his world fading away slowly. "No!   
I can't die! Kasumi..."   
  
"Heh. Kasumi?" said the thing as it   
suddenly stopped draining him. "What do   
you know of this Kasumi?"   
  
Tofu's eyes narrowed as he felt his   
strength return slightly.   
  
"Tell me, and I might let you live.   
This time that is."   
  
The man's face contorted into   
defiance. "He's my brother."   
  
"A pity, I thought you might have   
been more useful than I'd thought. Oh   
well," the thing reached forward with   
the crystal again, the dark power   
pulling at Tofu once again.   
  
"No!" snarled the doctor as he   
lashed out again, he stumbled back   
against one of the operating trays.   
  
"You're strong to resist, it's   
almost a pity," said the creature.   
  
Tofu spun around from leaning over   
the tray. He screamed and collapsed on   
the ground. Finally, he was out cold.   
  
The creature's arm fell, the crystal   
clattering against the ground. "I've   
failed! Forgive me master!" it managed   
to gurgle despite the huge wound in it's   
throat. Its neck was nearly sliced in   
half. It slumped down to the ground and   
landed face first on the tile as it   
began to crumble away into dust.   
  
Tofu merely lay there, a scalpel in   
his hand.   
  
++++++++++++   
  
On a nearby rooftop, a figure stood   
glaring at the building. Her hood   
covering her features as she stared at   
it hatefully. "Beryl's creatures are   
pathetically weak. This is useless." She   
turned away and vanished into the   
streets.   
  
++++++++++++++   
  
Akane frowned as she stood off   
against Ranma in the dojo. Her arms and   
legs worked to their limits, and the boy   
merely brushed her strongest blows aside   
as if they were nothing. "Damn you!"   
  
"If you could, you would," he   
replied calmly.   
  
Akane snarled hatefully and stepped   
back into a defensive stance.   
  
"Enough of this Akane, you're   
pathetic," snorted Ranma as he turned   
away.   
  
"I'll show you who's pathetic!"   
snarled the girl as she charged again.   
Her arms pushed forward and the boy in   
front of her vanished from sight.   
Something hit the dojo wall in front of   
her with enough force to crack the   
wooden wall.   
  
"Good, but you still lack focus, or   
control," said Ranma calmly as he   
frowned at her and punched her in the   
back of her head.   
  
The girl's entire body exploded with   
pain from the strike. She screamed in   
anger and rage as she writhed on the   
ground.   
  
Ranma stood over her, watching   
calmly. He looked up to see Kasumi   
walking into the room. "Good morning,"   
he said with a small nod.   
  
"Good Morning Ranma-sempai," said   
the girl as she gave him an   
acknowledging nod. She kept moving,   
going about her own business for the   
morning.   
  
"Sempai?" grumbled Akane as she   
staggered to her feet and looked at her   
sister for a moment.   
  
"Yes, Sempai," replied Ranma as he   
started walking out of the room.   
  
Akane's anger jumped suddenly and   
she charged after him. "You bastard!   
What have you done to my sister?" She   
gasped in shock as she suddenly found   
herself pushed back by an unseen force.   
She was sprawled across the ground, and   
the boy's foot was across her throat   
before she could move.   
  
"What I do is none of your   
business," he said calmly. "You belong   
to me Akane Tendo, not the other way   
around. You'd best remember that."   
  
The girl's mouth worked open and   
closed, she couldn't speak. Fear was the   
overpowering emotion she was feeling   
now. His foot slowly pushed down on her   
throat, and she felt the strain of her   
windpipe desperately trying to hold   
itself together under the force he was   
applying.   
  
"Maybe I should just be rid of you   
now, and be done with it?" he mused out   
loud.   
  
The girl simply lay there helpless.   
Her arms and legs were free, but she   
found herself unable to do anything to   
stop him.   
  
He stood there on her neck, simply   
looking at her with an odd expression on   
his face for a long moment. "Maybe."   
  
Akane closed her eyes and waited.   
Finally, just before she passed out from   
the lack of air, he pressure was gone.   
She gasped and lay there with her eyes   
squeezed shut.   
  
Ranma left the room with a cold   
smirk on his face as he went off to find   
breakfast.   
  
Just outside the door, Kasumi Tendo   
merely watched the scene play out, just   
outside Akane's field of vision. Her   
expression was calm, and revealed no   
emotion. She frowned to herself as the   
boy released her and shook her head.   
This oddly disappointed her. It wasn't   
something she could explain either. In   
her mind, she thought she should be   
angry with him for attacking her family   
that way.   
  
Any thoughts on the matter were   
quickly pushed aside as she continued   
her work. The laundry wasn't going to do   
itself after all.   
  
++++++++++++++   
  
Nabiki sat at the table, a cold   
scowl on her face as she looked at her   
younger sister. She was oddly silent,   
and sat next to Ranma. Neither of them   
seemed to acknowledge the other's   
presence. They simply sat next to each   
other. She didn't put much thought into   
the fact that Kasumi was sitting on   
Ranma's right side. It was her usual   
spot at the table after all.   
  
"Something is going on here, but I'm   
not sure what," she thought to herself   
as she ate slowly. Occasionally he would   
glance at her, her attention would shift   
away when he did this. She didn't think   
he'd noticed her watching them.   
  
She was wrong of course, Ranma could   
feel her eyes on him. It was bothering   
him slightly and he hadn't yet decided   
on a course of action. He doubted if she   
would fare as well against one of those   
youma as Tofu had. Still, he decided to   
wait it out for now, and keep an eye on   
her. She may still prove herself useful.   
He doubted it, but one never knew.   
  
His cold smirk returned to his face   
as Akane stood up and looked at him.   
"We'll be late if we don't leave."   
  
He nodded and joined her as she   
walked out of the room towards the door.   
"You coming? It'll be harder for you to   
stare at me all day if you aren't with   
us."   
  
Nabiki jumped slightly at his words,   
but quickly replaced her surprise with a   
mask of indifference. "Like you're worth   
staring at."   
  
Ranma shook his head and started   
walking after his fiancee again.   
  
++++++++++++++   
  
Next Time: Return to School. 


End file.
